Mayavada (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"mayavad" |"mayavada" |"mayavadam" |"mayavadi" |"mayavadi's" |"mayavadic" |"mayavadin" |"mayavadins" |"mayavadis" |"mayavadism"

Notes from the compiler: Not included "Mayavada philosophy" and "Mayavada philosophers"

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Similarly, the fourth scene, the teachings with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, that is also in there.

Hayagrīva: Who is this?

Prabhupāda: Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was at Benares. He was a Māyāvādī sannyāsī, Śaṅkara sampradāya. So he used to... This scene should be given that at Benares He was also walking all over the streets and roads, "Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa" and thousands and thousands men were following Him. This news arrived to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī who was the chief sannyāsī there and some of the devotees told, "Oh, a very nice sannyāsī has come to Benares. He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī deprecated, "Oh! This is a nonsense! Why a sannyāsī should chant and dance? He should concentrate his mind in studying Vedānta. He is a fool." In this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu was criticized.

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: So one Maharastrian brāhmaṇa, he was devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said that "This incident gave us much pain, sir. If You kindly meet this sannyāsī and talk with him about Vedānta-sūtra, that would be a nice thing." In the meantime one brāhmaṇa came and invited Lord Caitanya that "I have invited all the sannyāsīns of Benares, but I know You do not meet these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, but still I have come to invite You. You kindly accept my invitation." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this opportunity of meeting Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He accepted his invitation, and there was a meeting, and there was discussion of Vedānta-sūtra with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, and He converted him to be a Vaisnava.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Questions and Answers -- Montreal, August 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: In Benares, the Mayavāda philosophy was very prominent. In Dharvanga, logic was very prominent. In Navadvīpa, philosophy was very prominent, and nyāya also. Similarly, in Bharampura, Bharatpura. There are many places, just like at the present moment there are many places, university. So He was great logician, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In His boyhood He would ask His contemporary friends to argue with Him on a subject matter, and He'll defeat him. And again He'll establish it. The very point on which He defeated His friend, He'll again establish it, and again nullify it. He was so talented. His name was therefore, other name, was Nimāi Paṇḍita.

Questions and Answers -- Montreal, August 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Gaurakiśora dasa... Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was his father, and Gaurakiśora dasa Bābājī was treating Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura... Although he was householder and Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī was renounced order, still he used to offer great respect to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura saw him a pure devotee; therefore he recommended his son, Bimala Prasāda. His former name was Bimala Prasāda, and he got this title Siddhānta Sarasvatī by writing one thesis on astronomy, astrology, astrological calculation according to solar system. So he got this title Siddhānta Sarasvatī. So this Siddhānta Sarasvatī, Sarasvatī title also accepted by sannyāsa. Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, Puri, Araṇya, Bon, Parvat—there are ten names of sannyāsa according to Māyāvādī school, and according to Vaiṣṇava school there are 108 names. So this "svāmī" and "gosvāmī," they're also included within that 108 names. So he accepted Gaurakiśora dasa Bābājī Maharaja his spiritual master.

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1968, Seattle:

Prabhupāda: Without energy, he is incomplete. Sun without sunshine is incomplete. Is it possible? Can one think of sun without sunshine? Similarly, the Māyāvāda theory that the absolute is without energy, there is no energy, absolute is... They have misunderstood. The energy is not different from the energetic. Just like sunshine is not different from the sun, neither the sunshine has got any existence without the sun, nor the sun can exist without sunshine. They are so intimately related. Similarly, the Lord and the energies are so intimately related, they cannot be separated, but they are not one. This is the whole philosophy. So we are praying to the original energy, Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure:

It is called uñca-vṛtti. Uñca-vṛtti means they will go the paddy field, and after the cultivator takes all the paddies, some paddies are thrown away. They will collect those paddies only. Just like birds, they collect. They collect those paddies, and that they will eat, not even beg, ask anybody for any morsel of food. So completely... And in the Bhāgavata, Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that "Oh, this open field is your bed, this is your pillow, this is your pot, and the water in river is sufficient water, the tree is full of fruits, and in the cave, there is sufficient apartment. So why should you go, anyone, to ask for your shelter, for your food?" Kasmād bhajanti kavayor dhana-durmadandhān: "Why should you approach the materialistic, puffed-up, monied men to give you some help?" So Śukadeva Gosvāmī was strictly following this, strictly following, completely independent. That is not possible at the present day. (chuckles) If we imitate, that will be not good. We have to depose(?). Our Gosvāmīs, they have prescribed yukta-vairāgya: accept everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Then it is yukta-vairāgya. It is also vairāgya. Śuṣka-vairāgya and yukta-vairāgya. Śuṣka-vairāgya means simply renunciation without assimilation. Māyāvādī sect, Śaṅkara sect, they have got stringent laws for renunciation. But Vaiṣṇavas, they have no stringent law. They accept everything as Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, actually offering Kṛṣṇa, working for Kṛṣṇa, living for Kṛṣṇa. This is the best use.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 11, 1969, New York:

Prabhupāda: As soon as we say that this is a tree, the root of which is up, that means it is reflection. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they do not take account of the mathematical calculation, 380 degree. They are taking account of... 360 degree, the whole circle. They are taking account only 180 degree. And other 180 degree they're making void. But actually, the whole point is 360 degree. That is geomatrical calculation. If you simply know 180 degree, then the other 180 degree is unknown to you. So real life, real variety, real beauty, real knowledge, everything in reality is there in the spiritual world. It is only reflection. Therefore Bhāgavata explains that janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Supreme Absolute Truth is cognizant, abhijñaḥ. Cognizant and svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. In this way, the explanation of Brahma-sūtra is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. Yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. Yasmin paramahaṁsam ekaṁ paraṁ jñānam jñeyate. The knowledge of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is to be understood by the paramahaṁsa, the highest perfected man, paramahaṁsa. It is not ordinary thing.

Room Conversation -- April 11, 1969, New York:

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is real truth, and this world is mithyā. Then mithyā means it is a reflection or shadow. Mithyā does not mean that it has no existence. The shadow is also existence. Therefore Vaiṣṇava philosophers say that mithyā means temporary. Now you have got this body. This is temporary. That's the real understanding. And if I say it is mithyā, then if I kill you, then why I am punished? I can say, "Oh, it is mithyā, it is false. So what is their fault?" No. It is not mithyā. It is temporary. Not mithyā. Mithyā how can it be? Because it is reflection of the reality, therefore it cannot be mithyā. Then the reality becomes mithyā. Mithyā means not fact. The real explanation is that this is shadow. Shadow, but the reality is in the spiritual world, and that is indicated in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The fountainhead of all emanation. That is Absolute Truth.

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He would sometimes eat clay?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That was when He was about three years old. So generally, for morning the children given nice sandeṣa, sweetmeat, and this puffed rice in a cane pot and He would eat. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu was eating clay. So His mother said, "Oh, why You are eating clay?" Then He said, "What is the difference between clay and this foodstuff? After all, everything is clay. It is produced from clay." This is criticizing the Māyāvādī philosophy that everything is one. So His mother said, "My dear boy, it is very nice, everything is clay. But when you have to use for practical purpose... For example, if you want to keep water, so you have to keep water on the clay pot, not on the clay. So this specific form of the clay is required."

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we can show His mother and His wife crying because He is taking sannyāsa. They see Him in His...

Prabhupāda: No, no. He took sannyāsa by previous arrangement. One day He went away from home, accompanied by Murāri and Lord Nityānanda, and went to Katwa. There was one Māyāvādī sannyāsī, Keśava Bhāratī, and He took sannyāsa from him. And then He was, in emotion He was going to Vṛndāvana, but He was misled by Nityānanda, and He was brought to the home of Advaita, and Advaita arranged to bring His mother to see Him for the last. So His mother and many people from Nabadwip came to Sant... Advaita's house was in Santipur. So there was, for a few days, Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed there, and saṅkīrtana and prasāda distribution was going on. And His mother feeling, feeling very well... But Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that "My mother is not allowing Me to go. That is not good." So He requested, "Mother, I have taken sannyāsī. If I go on feasting like this with mother, what people will say? So you give Me permission to go." So mother said, "Yes, my dear boy. You have taken sannyāsī.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Yamunā: It says, "All inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi, Vṛndāvana, are very dear to Kṛṣṇa. A devotee in attachment selects one of the inhabitants and follows in his footsteps in order to be successful."

Prabhupāda: Devotee... Devoted to the Vṛndāvana inhabitants. You don't directly think of yourself that "I shall see Kṛṣṇa as my son."

Yamunā: No.

Prabhupāda: No.

Yamunā: No.

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvāda.

Yamunā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You have to follow the footsteps of Yasoda Ma.

Room Conversation -- December 17, 1970, Surat:

Guest (1) (Indian man): Māyāvādīs may die like that, imagining... (Hindi) Ara saba bhṛtya.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are after, inquiring after Brahmān, but nobody could give them. So they have got it. Now they are taking it. This is stage. (Hindi) That is the stage, sannyāsa stage. So these hippies, they are also giving up all work, that is sannyāsa, but there is no guide. There is no guide. And because they have no guide, therefore their intelligence is not being purified. Simply there is a propensity for renunciation, tyāga. But tyāga...(Hindi) After renunciation, what is the next stage, they do not know. That we are giving: "Yes, come here. Stand here."

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Darsana -- June 28, 1971, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "If Kṛṣṇa is here, then why shall I worship Kṛṣṇa in the temple?" That is his rascaldom. If Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, why He is not in the temple? But they will be minus, make minus this: "Kṛṣṇa is not in the temple, Kṛṣṇa is only somewhere else, that's all." That is the... Kṛṣṇa says that "I am in the temple, not anywhere else, although everything I am." So these things the foolish rascal people do no understand. Try to make them understand and go on preaching. The sannyāsīs are meant for preaching and the GBC's are meant for managing. In this way do it. Now you give me relief—I go on writing books, that's all.

Room Conversation -- November 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Guest (2): Kalpanā.

Prabhupāda: Yes, kalpanā. Māyāvādī theory is brahma nirākāra, so... (Hindi) You can imagine that God is so insignificant that you can imagine His form. This dangerous theory is going on in India. God is so insignificant that you can imagine at your whims whatever you like. Ramakrishna Mission is also preaching this, and now this big, big sannyāsī, they also preaching this. God is a subject matter for, of my imagination, He is so insignificant.

Room Conversation -- November 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: What is the nonsense scholar (laughter) if he does not know the truth? (Hindi) Māyaya apahṛta-jñānā. Scholar maybe superficially, but real knowledge is taken away by māyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu (Hindi) māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If people hear him, then for good he will be lost in bewilderedness. (Hindi conversation) Why do you think you are sinner? (Hindi) Our theory is not that. Kṛṣṇa is fighting, He is inducing fight against irreligiosity.

Room Conversation -- December 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam they have been described as vimukta-māninaḥ, that "I have become now liberated, māninaḥ." Self-complacent, thinking that "I have become now liberated. Now I become Nārāyaṇa, God." These Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they address among themselves as namaḥ nārāyaṇa. That means each one of them has become as good as Nārāyaṇa, because Nārāyaṇa is mukta. Nārāyaṇa paraḥ. Śaṅkarācārya says paraḥ. Paraḥ means liberated. Paraḥ and aparaḥ. Aparaḥ means conditioned. So nārāyaṇa paraḥ, avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is transcendental to this cosmic manifestation. He's above. So the Māyāvādī philosopher, they think that "I have become now a liberated, as good as Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 15, 1972, Madras:

Prabhupāda: Cure the eyes of the disease, then you will see things right. The Māyāvādī philosophy is pluck out the eyes. Buddha philosophy is make it zero. That is also same thing, plucking out. Our philosophy is "No. Cure it." That is the difference. It is very simple. Which one is better? Just like a man is suffering from disease, fever, and doctor gives him medicine. He dies. Then the patient's guardian says, "Sir, he is dead now. You have given some medicine, he is dead." "That's all right, fever is gone. Fever is gone. Never mind he is dead." (laughter) These rascal philosophy statement is like that. Make zero. Make imperson. Then the difficulties of personality... Because they have got very bad experience of personality here. He had to become minister, he has become king and this and that, householder, all botheration. So make imperson. That's all.

Room Conversation -- February 15, 1972, Madras:

Prabhupāda: So their philosophy, "You are going to be hanged. Now you can enjoy whatever you like." So this philosophy, that because the Māyāvādī philosophy is impersonal, zero, therefore people don't care for sin. "Enjoy life. You shall finish."

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Bob: The Rama-Krishna Mission says that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. And the Māyāvādīs. "Because everything is made of God, therefore everything is God." That is their... But our philosophy is everything is God, but not God also.

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, earth... Earth has no separate existence without Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "It's my energy." You cannot separate the energy and the energetic. It is not possible. You cannot separate heat from fire. But fire is different from the heat. And heat is different from the fire. You are taking heat, that does not mean you are touching fire. Fire, in spite of expanding heat, it keeps its identity. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa by His different energies creating everything, He remains Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think, "If Kṛṣṇa is everything, then Kṛṣṇa's separate identity is not there." That is material thinking. Just like drinking this milk, so little, little, when I finish, there is no more milk. It has gone to my belly. Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Because He's omnipotent, we are utilizing His energy continually, but still He's there, present.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: "In the statements of Śukadeva Gosvāmī it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that one should always hear about Kṛṣṇa. He does not recommend that one hear and chant about the demigods. The Māyāvādīs, or impersonalists, say that you can chant any name, either that of Kṛṣṇa or those of the demigods, and the results will be the same. But actually this is not a fact. According to the authorized version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one has to hear and chant about Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) only.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Devotee (2): Is one called Māyāvāda philosophy?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee (2): Māyāvādīs, are they thinking like that, Kṛṣṇa is...

Prabhupāda: Yes, "He is ordinary man. A little better than me, that's all." That Dr. Frog's philosophy. Atlantic was "That's all right, may be little one feet more than this well, that's all." He cannot imagine that millions of wells will be not compared. That he cannot begin. He says, "Yes, it may be bigger, say one foot bigger, two feet bigger. All right, ten feet bigger, make compromise." That's all. He will never think that beyond his estimation. Never think. He'll simply calculate, "All right, if not one, two feet, three feet. All right, ten feet." And the friend will say, "No, no, it is very, very great."

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda:

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya

yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya

(CC Adi 5.142)

Kṛṣṇa is so kind. As Māyāvādī philosopher you want to do something, Kṛṣṇa will "All right, dance in this way. Dance, all right dance. You talk like this." Kṛṣṇa gives him capacity to talk. Otherwise, he cannot talk even. So Kṛṣṇa gives him intelligence, counterargument: "All right, let the rascal speak as he likes." Therefore, yāre yaiche nācāya, He is allowing to dance everyone as he desires. But He says that "You give up all this nonsense, you simply surrender unto Me." That is His verse. Otherwise, if you want to dance, "All right, I give you facility to dance." The karmīs are dancing. "All right, dance." The jñānīs are dancing. "All right, dance. Go on speculating, but you will never understand Me."

Morning Walk -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: A good reason. If you worship Kṛṣṇa, go to Kṛṣṇa. If you worship the dog, you go to dog.

Devotee (1): Māyāvādīs, they say you can worship anything and it is all the same?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee (1): Do the Māyāvādīs say you can worship anything and it is all the same?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (chuckles) That is their nonsense. Kṛṣṇa says different thing, but they have manufactured their own way. Is that a temple?

Devotee (1): Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's a nice gold dome.

Prabhupāda: It appears as church. It is a church?

Devotee (1): Yes. I do not know what kind. Christian church. (break)

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Kṛṣṇa has endowed California with a lot of natural beauty.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Our process: Kṛṣṇa says that He is the Supreme, we accept. Not blindly—because other ācāryas, they also accept. Now some rascal is taking advantage of that statement, "If Kṛṣṇa can say, 'I am the Supreme, I am God,' so I can also say." Māyāvādī philosophy. (break) Swamis could not do anything, he was (indistinct). There are so many.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversations with Sannyasis -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:

Acyutānanda: So it means I am a Māyāvādī, that's what it means.

Śyāmasundara: It's a matter of overall conduct, not just individual specific things.

Acyutānanda: That overall I'm a Māyāvādī.

Devotee: I find an overall bad atmosphere in India. Resentment against many of the devotees. Party politics and different things like that are going on. It's not limited, it's going on all over India.

Devotees: That's so. Very heavy.

Śyāmasundara: Just like with, just like with Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. He has the respect of everyone because he is doing such a good job of managing, and he's just, he's doing, he's performing nicely his devotional work, and he's getting some results. That's respect. Then you'll get respect. Bali Mardana Mahārāja, he's built up ISKCON Press till it's just like (snaps finger) that, and everyone touches his feet when they see him. You don't find anyone disrespecting him, because he's performing his duties. You automatically get respect if you perform something nicely. Not just say, "Oh, the atmosphere's bad..."

Prabhupāda: Well, we have got many faults. He can find out. But generally, if I direct nicely, others will follow. That is the principle. I may have some fault, you may have some, that you are not liberated from. We are all trying to preach. So generally we should behave very nicely according to the rules and regulations, chanting sixteen rounds, rising early in the morning. Particularly maybe there is some (indistinct). So generally with our, general rules are (indistinct). First of all rising early in the morning, he cleans and (indistinct) performances. So these things are followed, chants sixteen rounds, then everything is there.

Morning Walk -- May 14, 1973, Los Angeles:

Kṛṣṇa-kāntī: It's uncomfortable. It's not natural.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the Māyāvāda theory; that everything will uncover automatically, why do you bother? That is nonsense.

Karandhara: They will not be able to be so philosophical in their next lives when they're a dog.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Eh?

Karandhara: The Māyāvādīs will not be able to be so philosophical in their next lives when they're dogs or cats.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Karandhara: They have to have a human body in order to enjoy that philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Their philosophy is that there is only one-God. So cats and dogs, that is God's līlā. That is their rascal philo... God is making pastimes, līlā, by becoming a dog. That is their rascal philosophy. Daridra-nārāyaṇa. Vivekananda's philosophy. Nārāyaṇa has become daridra, poor. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (pause) So with chemists we have no quarrel if they begin from light. They're beginning from darkness. That is our contention. We say, "Begin from light." And they say, "No, begin from darkness." Because they're in darkness. One who is in the darkness, from darkness, if he goes to light, he thinks that the darkness is the beginning.

Morning Walk -- May 14, 1973, Los Angeles:

Paramahaṁsa: So we can also appreciate Kṛṣṇa's creation in that light? For example, this is very beautiful because it is Kṛṣṇa's.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We realize that. We don't say... Just like Māyāvādī philosophy says mithyā. Jagan mithyā. "This world is false." We don't say that. We don't say "jagan mithyā."

Devotee: This material nature is just one energy of Kṛṣṇa acting in a certain way?

Prabhupāda: Why shall I say...? Kṛṣṇa has created so many nice things for His enjoyment, why shall I say, "mithyā." Suppose if you create nice house, very good apartment and you call me, "Just see." And if I say, "It is all mithyā."

Paramahaṁsa: That's also an offense. Because I can't enjoy it.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Then how much depressed you'll be. Let's say I brought this friend and this rascal is saying, "This is mithyā."

Karandhara: Sour grapes.

Prabhupāda: That is explained that asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te, jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). These rascals, these demons they say like that, that this is asatya, this is untruth. There is no cause. There is no īśvara. This is the demoniac declaration. If Kṛṣṇa is fact, His creation is fact. His energy is fact. Why shall I say false? We don't say it is false. The Māyāvādīs say it is false.

Morning Walk -- May 14, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That is his ignorance. How it can be material? The stone is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Just like electricity energy is there everywhere. The electrician knows how to utilize it, how to take electricity. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, even in the stone. The devotees know how to utilize stone to appreciate Kṛṣṇa. The devotees know. The rascal, they do not know. Because the devotee has no other view than Kṛṣṇa. Why stone should be without Kṛṣṇa? Here is Kṛṣṇa. That is real oneness. And the Māyāvādī philosopher they say oneness, but divide. This is stone, this is not Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- May 14, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: We worship everything. In our childhood we are taught by our parents, if there is small grain and if it is strut (?) on the feet, we shall pick it up and touch on the forehead. We are taught like this, how to see everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. We cannot therefore see anything wasted, anything misused. Why you are preaching? Why we are after so many rascals? That his life is being misused. Let us give him some enlightenment. This is our mission. Or let him go to hell. Just like Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they're engaged in meditation or in the Himalayas, but we have come to Los Angeles. Why? This is our mission. Oh, these things, these people are being misused under māyā, let him gain some enlightenment. This is our mission. We are teaching that, how to utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa. How to understand Kṛṣṇa in everything. That is our mission. See Kṛṣṇa in everything. Yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra. Everything is there in Bhagavad-gītā, why don't you read? Sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati, yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra, "Anyone who sees Me everywhere and sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati... and everything in Me, he's perfect."

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: If he's presently the pakka Māyāvādī, if he's used passively by a great man then only in that way he can come this side. Not in front walking. Not by front walking. Only by back drawing, he can be taken to this side only. It is quite true. That... So Cinmayānanda. Now Gaura Mahārāja, he knows me better, and he, he's a paid Goswami of those Patrikā persons.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: And they are exploiting him. He's exploiting them.

Prabhupāda: This time, in their meeting, they made me chief guest. But I did not attend.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: That's a lower position.

Prabhupāda: In, in a big meeting, they made me chief guest.

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Once when I was in a hut here, then Ānandamaṇi came to Navadvīpa, and one devotee, Mano-rañjana, he wanted to bring Ānandamaṇi here. I refused, that "I won't be able to pay any respect to her. She's a pakka Māyāvādī." I, I saw that she, with a cow in her back and with the flute...

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is a picture like that.

Room Conversation -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: You can see that you are a fool (but) God is not fool. That is the difference. But God is (indistinct), He'll not speak foolish. Because he is above all this foolishness but you are within the foolishness. That is the difference. Try to answer them like that. You are within the status of foolishness, māyā, and God is above māyā. If God is also within the māyā, as the rascal Māyāvādīs say, then what is the use of God? We are everything.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya. They are the leaders of Vedic culture at the pre..., in the present moment. They are accepting. But other, foolish people, they are not accepting. māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā: their knowledge has been taken away by māyā. Although they appear to be very learned, but actually, a sense of knowledge has been taken away by māyā. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Real thing they do not understand, nor, or refuse to understand. So they are offenders. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhi. "All the Māyāvādīs, they are offenders to Kṛṣṇa." Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu (BG 16.19). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Dviṣataḥ krūrān. They're envious, krūra. "I put them into the hellish condition of life." These, these Europeans and American boys, they're innocent. I have told them that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." They have accepted. That's all. Others, they will argue, "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be...?" They're offenders. Yes. They do not know what is Kṛṣṇa; still they will argue.

Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām ekaḥ (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). One nitya, one eternal, one living being..., that is Supreme. We are living being. We are also nitya, eternal. But he is nityo nityānām. He is the chief of the nityas. He's the chief of the living entities. So that is chief. Kṛṣṇa personally says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior living being than Me." So these things are there in the Vedas. And they are supposed to be Vedic scholars, but they do not know the simple thing. So in that way they are ignorant. They read the Vedic literatures, but they do not understand, or they misinterpret in a different way for their own purpose. So they are, they're offender. Otherwise, there is no difficulty. This Māyāvāda philosophy has created this situation, that "God is impersonal, and, everyone can become God, or everyone is God." This Māyāvāda philosophy has created this havoc. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhi. "All the Māyāvādīs, they are offenders to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore they cannot make any progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That difficulty is there—offenders. And later on, there are so many institutions. They say that "You can create your God. You can become God."

Morning Walk -- August 30, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is already there. When we speak of Vṛndāvana, Vṛndāvana is already there. It is not that we have manufactured some picture, imagination, no. They take it like that. The rascals take it like that, that it is a kind of imagination of the poet. The Māyāvādī philosophers also take like that. But that's not the fact. It is actually presentation of the spiritual facts and as the spiritual activities are quite different from material activities, they misunderstand. They misunderstand.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Professor: If you could read some of the Bengali part. Of course, in the beginning there are some Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: Only one verse.

Professor: Some Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Professor: But the pure Bengali.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

jaya jaya mahāprabhu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya

tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita, sei baḍa dhanya

(CC Adi 7.2)

You understand Bengali?

Professor: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Or shall I explain?

Professor: Oh, well, I understand.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Professor: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (Chants many verses from Ādi 1.7 in Bengali) ...kāśīra māyāvādī. You know kāśīra māyāvādī?

Professor: Yes. Yes, a little.

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvana yāite prabhu... (continues chanting) ...vasilā sei sthāne. You want to hear more?

Professor: No, thank you.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Professor: And they are... Yes. And they are, of course, a bit different. So he, Śaṅkara himself, seemed to...

Prabhupāda: That is explained in this Caitanya-caritāmṛta, why Śaṅkara prepared, presented his Māyāvāda philosophy. It is explained there.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Pradyumna: "Śaṅkarācārya, who is an incarnation of Lord Śiva, is faultless because he is servant carrying out the orders of the Lord, but those who follow his Māyāvādī philosophy are doomed. They will lose all their advancement in spiritual knowledge."

Prabhupāda: This is the opinion of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Anyone who hears Śaṅkara's comment on Vedānta philosophy, he is doomed.

Professor: That's about it.

Prabhupāda: What is the purport?

Pradyumna: "Māyāvādī philosophers are very proud of exhibiting their Vedānta knowledge through grammatical jugglery, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā certifies that they are māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15), bereft of real knowledge due to māyā. Māyā has two potencies with which to execute her two functions: prakṣepātmikā..."

Prabhupāda: Prakṣepātmikā.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Professor: So Śaṅkara is a bit difficult because his followers, even he's Māyāvādī, the followers, even the followers, they clearly believe in it. But whether, what Śaṅkara himself meant by it...

Prabhupāda: No, that is explained. Śaṅkara is the incarnation of Lord Śiva. He has no fault. He has simply executed the order of the Supreme Lord. But the way in which he has presented the commentary, one should not hear it. That is his warning. Here is the Tenth Canto of Bhāgavatam, two volumes.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Professor: Well, that's one. Yes. And also there is Edgarton (?). He was an American Sanskrit scholar.

Prabhupāda: No, translation, there is, there is good translation. But he comments like that. Just like Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was asked that "You are hearing; You do not speak anything," He said, "Yes, I am understanding the original verse of the Vedānta very clearly, but you are trying to cover the meaning. Therefore I am puzzled." This is the business of the Māyāvādīs. They'll simply puzzle. That's all.

Professor: Who? The Māyā...?

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī.

Professor: Māyāvādī, hm.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You also told me that it is very difficult to understand the jugglery way of presentation.

Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa," then I am perfect. And if I say, "So 'ham. I am Kṛṣṇa," then you are imperfect. Is that...? (break) "...the same. I am the Lord. I am the Supreme." They're all imperfect. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They have been described as rascals. They are strongly thinking that they are liberated. They're rascals. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They are talking like nonsense because their intelligence is not..., it is purified. He's therefore wrongly thinking that "I am the Supreme Lord. I am moving the sun." These rascals, they meditate, "I am moving the sun, I am moving the moon. I am this, I am that." This is their meditation. So 'ham. So they are rascals. And how you can become the Supreme? As soon as you have got a toothache, you have to go to the doctor. And he was thinking he was supreme, nonsense. Rascal. (break) ...bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. These are Māyāvādīs, those who are after, "I am the Supreme." They are Māyāvādīs. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Anyone who hears the philosophy of Māyāvāda, he is doomed. He is gone." (break) ...teaching, "Why you are seeking after God?" Just like Vivekananda taught, "Oh, why you are seeking after God? Don't you see so many gods are on the street? They are hungry. They are lame. They are daridra-nārāyaṇa. Why don't you worship them?" This is Māyāvādī. So if we take Vivekananda's version, and be engaged in the service of the daridra-nārāyaṇa, then I am misled. (break) ...preaching this daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā for hundreds of years, at least one hundred years, but still, there are daridras.

Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Generally, people understand Kṛṣṇa that "He appeared as a great personality, son of Vasudeva. At Mathurā, He was born. And He acted very gorgeously in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and so on, so on." This is also knowing. But this is not knowing factually that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one understands Kṛṣṇa, the original source of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), which Kṛṣṇa explains, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no superior authority beyond Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of all." When one understands Kṛṣṇa like that... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "I am also Kṛṣṇa, I am also Kṛṣṇa." But people who follow, they do not ask him that "If you are Kṛṣṇa, you show something as Kṛṣṇa showed. Kṛṣṇa lifted the Govardhana Hill when He was seven years old. And you are seventy years old. What you have done like that?" (laughs) So everyone wants to become Kṛṣṇa, but he cannot manifest Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. Kṛṣṇa showed the virāṭ-rūpa to Arjuna. What you have got? So this is Māyāvāda.

Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: This reply we give to the Māyāvādīs. So we speak to the Māyāvādī guru, that "Whether you are in māyā? Because everything is māyā, so whether you are also in māyā?" So if he says, "Yes," then how he can become guru?

Karandhara: Professor Bharati said that. And when the students asked him, "Isn't everything in this world illusion?", he said, "Yes, everything is illusion, but I like it very much."

Prabhupāda: He likes it very much.

Karandhara: That's what he said.

Prabhupāda: Therefore he is a rascal. That proves that he is a rascal.

Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: "Those who are devotees, to show them special favor, I remove the ignorance." So Māyāvādīs, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). They are Māyāvādīs. Māyā does not allow them to see the cause of all causes, Kṛṣṇa. But if Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself, who can check it? Otherwise He is not Brahman. Brahman means the greatest. Brahman means the greatest, and He is Parabrahman. There are greatest demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, but He's greater than them. He says, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Brahmā and Śiva, they have come out from Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. So Brahmā, Śiva may not know, but that does not mean Kṛṣṇa does not know. So we are receiving knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. We are not receiving. Or we are receiving knowledge from Kṛṣṇa's representative, who knows Kṛṣṇa. So that is our position. We are not as good as Kṛṣṇa, just the Māyāvādī rascals say. No. We are nothing. We have no value. But we accept what Kṛṣṇa says. That is our qualification.

Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say that ultimately there may be no difference...

Prabhupāda: It is Māyāvāda, Māyāvāda. Māyāvāda says brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. This world is false. (break) ...so what... (break) ...prepared it, so he is the cause of this construction of the bench. How can you say there is no cause?

Hṛdayānanda: Then they would say...

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Hṛdayānanda: They would say, "If everything has a cause..."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hṛdayānanda: "...then God also must have a cause."

Prabhupāda: No, that is God, which has no cause. That is our definition. Everything has cause, but when it comes to a point where there is no more cause, He is cause and effect Himself, then that is God.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:

Yaśomatīnandana: Everything is spiritual, but when it is... due to our ignorance, we think it is material.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but don't associate with... (indistinct) ...must realize.

Yaśomatīnandana: So Māyāvādīs artificially think that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. They have no realization.

Yaśomatīnandana: Somebody even asked me about what is material and what is spiritual, Prabhupāda. I said that whatever is in connection with God is spiritual and whatever is not in connection with God is material. Is that right?

Prabhupāda: That's nice, that's nice.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:

Yaśomatīnandana: It is not that, like Māyāvādīs, they serve the spiritual master in the beginning and then they...

Prabhupāda: Then they...

Yaśomatīnandana: ...themselves become...

Prabhupāda: ...throw him away, "Go away. I have now learned." Guru-mara-vidyā, to, the knowledge of how to kill guru. Guru-mara-vidyā. Their, the philosophy is that you cannot rise up. You take a ladder. But as soon as you rise, throw away the ladder. No more. No more needed. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. Our philosophy is dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyam.

Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: If God has cause, then he is not God. That is the difference between God and everything. Everything has got cause, but God has not cause. Therefore he is God. That, the rascal, he does not know. He equalizes God and everything on the same level. Then what is the meaning of God? If He hasn't got the extraordinary qualification, then how he is God? He is everything. He does not know. Why there is distinction between God and everything? Because God is not caused by everything, but everything is caused by God. That is the difference. (break) ...is equal to God, then everything is God. That is going on, Māyāvāda philosophy.

Morning Walk -- December 13, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: Kṛṣṇa has given us free will to choose or reject the godly life. Should the government take away that free will of whether they choose to...

Prabhupāda: No, that free will is not to be given. It is already there. Rather, Kṛṣṇa says He has given free will, but His personal advice is: "I am now talking to you the most confidential words." Sarva-guhyatamam. "You stop your so-called free will. Just surrender to Me." This is the most confidential. "If you surrender to Me, that is good for you. But if you go on keeping your free will you'll not be happy." There is also free will. When you come to the Kṛṣṇa platform you serve Kṛṣṇa with free will, not that you become a stone. There is free will. Just like our devotees they are dressing Kṛṣṇa nicely, is there no free will? They are cooking for Kṛṣṇa. Is there no free will? The free will is there. The Māyāvādī philosopher says, the Buddha philosopher says, that "Stop this free will, and then you become happy." But our proposition is not to stop free will but purify free will. Purify. Not stop these eyes. Just if it is suffering from cataract, cure that cataract. Keep the eyes. And their proposition, "Get out these eyes and throw it. Then there will be no more seeing what is right and wrong." That is their proposition.

Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles:

Candanācārya: Guru is greater than śaktyāveśa-avatāra.

Prabhupāda: No, guru is considered as Kṛṣṇa Himself. Guru-rūpa kṛṣṇa hana avatāra. Just to teach the conditioned soul, guru comes himself, er, Kṛṣṇa comes Himself in the form of guru. Therefore we sing in the Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's prayer, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ: "In every śāstra, guru is accepted as directly Kṛṣṇa." Sākṣāt. Sākṣāt means directly. Sākṣād-dharitvena: As Kṛṣṇa, is accepted in every śāstra, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **, it is said, uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **, and this statement is accepted by advanced devotees. It is not only statement, but it is accepted. But the next question is: "Does it mean that guru is Kṛṣṇa? Therefore no more Kṛṣṇa wanted?" No. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: "Guru is exalted because he is very confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa." Here it is clear. Not that he is respected as Kṛṣṇa, therefore he has become Kṛṣṇa. This is Māyāvāda: "He has become Kṛṣṇa." No. Kintu: "But don't think that there is no more Kṛṣṇa, finished. Guru is here." Just like the Māyāvādīs say, just like this rascal Guruji, that "I am Kṛṣṇa." Not that. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He is the most confidential servant. Vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. This is clear explanation. Although he is respected as good as Kṛṣṇa, but he never says that "I am Kṛṣṇa." He says, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa."

Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: But Kṛṣṇa's disappearance, about having a māyā body that He left behind. A māyā body. Is that anything to do with Māyāvādī?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Māyāvādī means those who are in māyā, those who are thinking Kṛṣṇa as one of the human beings, for them, to delude them, He left the body. But actually He departed in His own body. There is no question of... Here is another... But just like this is also, this material world... This is also Kṛṣṇa's body. But this is interesting to the Māyāvādīs, the so-called scientists, so-called philosophers. But it is not interesting to the devotees. They are thinking, "This is all." Is not that? The scientists, the philosophers, they are thinking, "This is all. There is nothing beyond this." This is illusion. This is only reflection of the reality.

Morning Walk -- December 20, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: ...that... We talk in relationship, everything, because this is relative world. Everything we talk, that is in relative consideration. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. They do not accept the relativity. Although when there is some toothache, he will go to the doctor. Why does he not..., "No, it is māyā. Why I shall be troubled with the toothache?" Why does he go to the doctor? That is the defect of Māyāvāda philosophy. They are being affected by the change, but still, they will say, "There is no change. It is all the same."

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 5, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Sometimes, "All right, you become tree." "All right, some, become a serpent," "All right, you become a demigod," "All right, you become a human being," "All right, you become king," "You become a cobbler," "You go to the heavenly planets," "Go to the hellish planets." Varieties is there. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He's changing varieties, atmosphere of life. But he's packed up in this material world. That freedom... He's asking for freedom, but he does not know the freedom is the shelter of Kṛṣṇa. That he'll not accept. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has arranged so many varieties. In disgust the Māyāvādīs, they want to make the varieties variety-less, nirviśeṣa. And the Buddhists they want to make it zero. But that is also not possible. Remain zero for some time. Again he will want varieties. Big, big Māyāvādī sannyāsī, they preach so much brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but again they come to the political work, social work. Simply remain as brahma, "I am brahma," you cannot remain for many days. Then he has to accept these material varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment, so therefore our proposition is "Come to the real variety, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life will be successful."

Morning Walk -- January 5, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: The Māyāvādīs, they not only misunderstand the nature of the Absolute, they misunderstand the function of the jīva.

Prabhupāda: Yes. When one misunderstands, he misunderstands everything. One who commits mistake, he can commit mistakes in so many ways. They want to merge into the Absolute. They think that there is no variety, to avoid this variety. Ah? Just like sometimes one is suffering from some disease, they commit suicide. He thinks, "I'm suffering. If I commit suicide, then everything will be stopped." But he does not know that by committing suicide he'll increase another set of varieties of miserable conditions of life. He'll become ghost. And becoming ghost, you cannot enjoy anything grossly. The subtle body will create disturbance. Therefore ghost creates disturbance. He hasn't got gross body to enjoy. They're ghostly haunted; therefore a male ghost haunts over woman, woman ghost haunts over man. You know that? It so happens. Ghostly haunted.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: And therefore, mental speculators, they have been condemned. Manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Because they carry on, or they are carried by the chariot of mind, manorathena. Manorathena asati. Manoratha, when you drive on the chariot of mind, you cannot get any fixed idea. Because mind is flickering. Saṅkalpa-vikalpa. Mind's business is "Accept this, and again reject it." So all these speculators are doing. Somebody is putting forward some theory, and after some years he will himself reject or somebody else will reject. So manorathena, by mental speculation, you remain on the material platform. You cannot get any spiritual idea. Therefore harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Anyone who is not in the spiritual platform... Spiritual platform means to be a devotee of the Lord. The Māyāvādīs, because they are not devotees of the Lord, they are not on the spiritual platform. They are on the material platform. They are speculating, spirit—"something negation of matter." That's all. That is mental speculation. It is bad.

Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: ...therefore they see that this, their conception of Kṛṣṇa, there is mother, there is father, there is friend—"So what is this? Here also we see the mother, father, friend. So how they become free?" They cannot understand. Their brain is so poor they cannot understand. Therefore they: "It is also māyā. To think of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, having father, mother, friends, playing pastimes, this is also māyā." Therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. They cannot conceive that in the spiritual world exactly the same things there are, but the position is different. That is absolute, without any designation.

Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: First deserve, then desire. So how a Kṛṣṇa conscious person can be desireless? The first is desire. "I desire to serve Kṛṣṇa." That is the beginning. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you chance as you deserve. This is the process. And that is explained: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). When you become completely desireless for anything material, then bhakti begins. That is desirelessness. Desirelessness means when becomes free to desire anything except Kṛṣṇa. That is desirelessness. Desirelessness means not to desire anything material. That is desirelessness. Their Māyāvādī philosophy that "Everything is māyā, and therefore Kṛṣṇa is māyā." That is called Māyāvādī. They do not know the distinction between māyā and reality. Everything māyā. Therefore they are called Māyāvādīs.

Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: With simply negative, what you'll do? Simply negative? You must give something positive. Then you'll be satisfied. You are serving somewhere. You don't get sufficient salary. So you desire to give up this, this service. Resignation. But if you don't get any better service, then what will be the result of resignation? You'll starve. Again you'll go, "Master, I did wrong. Please give me that service." So that is... The Māyāvādīs' position is like that. They want to become merged into the Supreme. But that is not possible. After some time... āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They undergo very good auster..., severe austerities and reach the brahmajyoti, but there, everything being vacant, they cannot remain there. And they have no information of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they again come down. Patanty adhaḥ. He wants enjoyment, but there is no enjoyment. Simply thinking, "I am Brahman."

Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-saṁpragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). Just like child. We are experiencing. As soon as we finish, cries. And give him something. "All right." So there must be something positive. Simply taking away, vacant that will not satisfy. He'll have to cry again, "Oh, I am vacant. I am vacant." So Māyāvādīs' position is like that. The karmīs, yogis, jñānīs, all they are fools. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya. (BG 18.66) "You rascal, you give up all these karmīs, yogis, jñānī, siddhi... Kick out." Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the instruction. "Only unto Me. Then you'll be satisfied." Then the karmīs may say, "Oh..." Because he has got idea, without working... Just like all these fools and rascals, they are surprised, "How these people do not work, and how are happy?" They cannot imagine that without working hard, one can eat, one can sleep. But when they see that our devotees, they do not work, they are nobody's servant, "How it is possible?" They cannot think. They cannot think. But it is possible. Therefore the... When Kṛṣṇa says that mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, that, the karmīs, jñānīs, they are thinking, "Then how I will live? If I do not..., simply I become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, how shall I live?" So therefore Kṛṣṇa assures: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). "I shall give you protection."

Morning Walk -- January 23, 1974, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: He's not a devotee, he's a rascal.

Sudāmā: Yes, because in one of your... in Nectar of Devotion, you explain about some Māyāvādīs. Sometimes they think that Kṛṣṇa is not in the Deity but He is everywhere else.

Prabhupāda: That is his rascaldom. And these ships require huge quantities of petrol.

Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: This is very difficult for the Māyāvādī philosophers to answer, that everyone is God but when God becomes ignorant? And what kind of God He is that He forgets and becomes ignorant? In māyā. So māyā becomes better than God? Is it not? Then what is the definition of God? So many things. But they cannot answer. Just like you said that when you become ignorant (indistinct) God, how it happens? (indistinct). God, how God can be ignorant? And how can God become forgetful? It is contradictory.

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: What is this death? If you say, "You meet death," then you are a Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: Eh? No, no, no. I am speaking... I am answering your "well" and "not well." That's it. When there is death, then what is the use of calling "well" and "not well"?

Dr. Patel: "Well" and "not well," that's right.

Prabhupāda: That is my point. If you can avoid death, disease, old age, then you are well. You cannot avoid all these things. You must become old man, you must die, you must be diseased; where is the meaning of this well? It is simply concoction. (break) Where is happiness? Where is well-being? That they do not know. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. That they do not know. Just like a man lying on sick bed, and some friends come, "How are you?" "Yes, today I am well." What is this "well"? You are lying on the sick bed, hospital, and you are speaking, "Yes, I am well." (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- February 19, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādīs, they suffer only. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate. In Bhāgavata it is explained, "Their gain is only suffering." That's all.

Mr. Sar: That's why they...

Prabhupāda: Huh? Bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye. Kevala-bodha-labdhaye.

Mr. Sar: Ah, kevala-bodha.

Prabhupāda: Simply trying to know, know, know.

Mr. Sar: Know.

Prabhupāda: You see? So, teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate: "Their gain is simply their trying for, that labor." Nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām: "It is exactly like one is beating the husk."

Morning Walk -- February 19, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now, some of these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs accuse me that "Bhaktivedanta Swami is spoiling our Hindu religion." Means dveṣṭā. They do not like Christians. They do not like Mohammedans. But I am accepting Mohammedans, Christian, any damn rascal: "Come on. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Morning Walk -- February 19, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: What is Māyāvāda, Māyāvāda? This, we do not understand anything. māyā is a fact because it is the power of God, and you have got to work with it. So we are all of us are vādīs. Don't talk all these thing now Swamiji, I am going to fire him.

Prabhupāda: No, why you have become angry?

Dr. Patel: No, I don't become angry, I become violent, not angry.

Mr. Sar: Māyāvādī's name is speaker.

Prabhupāda: That means he is Māyāvādī.

Dr. Patel: Māyā is a fact of life.

Prabhupāda: He is becoming angry; that means he is Māyāvāda.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Sannyāsīs, those nāgā-bābās, they smoke.

Prabhupāda: Not nāgā... He was a regular sannyāsī, Māyāvādī sannyāsī. So my father was giving them the saffron cloth and gañjā. People accept it that this is one of the items.

Dr. Patel: That gañjā should be given.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, so badly impressed. So this gañjā-smoking has spread all over the world as the hippie movement.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So they are innocent people. They have imitated. Our, these so-called sādhu says that Lord Śiva used to smoke gañjā. That is their... So they have become Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva drunk the whole poison ocean and he kept it here. So you drink one drop of poison. But these rascals, they compare with Śiva, with Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa danced with girls. Therefore we must have." These Māyāvādīs do that. I know.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: And that is right. Even for them. I have no objection if you call me a Māyāvādī.

ṟ229 Prabhupāda: Yes, a Māyāvādī. I know.

Dr. Patel: I have no objection...

Prabhupāda: I know! I know certainly. I challenge you. In Karachi, there was Oṁ-sampradāya. And they were calling for young girls and your...

Dr. Patel: That is wrong.

Prabhupāda: Yes! That, the Māyāvādī! That Māyāvādī. Because he thought himself that "I am Kṛṣṇa."

Dr. Patel: That is where we differ, Vaiṣṇavas. Because we take Kṛṣṇa's līlā...

Prabhupāda: Just you hear me! He thought himself that "I am Kṛṣṇa."

Dr. Patel: That is wrong. Nobody is Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: So I am talking that. So he was a pākā Māyāvādī. And gentlemen were offering their daughters and their wives to dance.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Because it has been wrongly explained, the whole...

Prabhupāda: Therefore these kind of things are done by the Māyāvādīs.

Dr. Patel: Kṛṣṇa-līlā is not explained properly by any...

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādīs!

Dr. Patel: ...other thing than the Vaiṣṇavas. All is wrongly understood by all other fellows excepting Vaiṣṇavas, true Vaiṣṇavas. That Kṛṣṇa, as he was Supersoul...

Prabhupāda: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has condemned these rascal Māyāvādīs: māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhī. The greatest offender to Kṛṣṇa is these Māyāvādīs. Greatest offenders.

Guest (3): (Hindi conversation)

Prabhupāda: There are so many. Even in...

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Gorakhpur, Gītā Press.

Prabhupāda: He was a pākā Māyāvādī.

Guest (4): Gītā Press?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Oh, that Goenka of Gītā Press.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Yes.

Guest (4): (Hindi)

Dr. Patel: No. That is because of degeneration of the lower fellows. They are not understanding the real teaching of Bhāgavata.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have heard about that, about the Vallabha-sampradāya. Yes. I do not know whether it is fact. I have heard.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Mr. Sar: You know, they forget that this will be sukṛtina. Bhakta should be sukṛtina first, and then bhakta. That they forget. So it happens, you see, in all the...

Prabhupāda: No, this thinking, that "I am as good as Kṛṣṇa," this Māyāvāda philosophy has done so much havoc.

Dr. Patel: The highest philosophy of all is that you must give your ego. So there is no question of "I" remaining there. Even in bhakti-yoga and in jñāna-yoga, the real jñāna-yoga. Falsehood, anything can be... Even in bhakti-mārga also there are rascals, you know, who have done all sorts of humbug things.

Yaśodānandana: They are Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: They were Māyāvādīs. The bhakti-mārga... They call bhakti-mārga. They are actually Māyāvādīs.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about the philosophy that Kṛṣṇa actually never danced with the gopīs, but Kṛṣṇa's the Supersoul and the gopīs are souls, but there is actually no dancing; that is simply allegory.

Prabhupāda: Who says that?

Dr. Patel: I say.

Prabhupāda: That is also Māyāvāda.

Dr. Patel: I say it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says it.

Dr. Patel: And I, I, I own it of Māyāvādī. With your grace, I own it. (Prabhupāda chuckles) I... I... Isn't Kṛṣṇa Supersoul? Isn't you a soul?

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says Himself that avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). He is never this body. He has no distinction between... That has been done, analyzed by Māyāvādī scholar, Dr. Radhakrishnan. When Kṛṣṇa says that man-manā mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, he, he, I mean to say, warns, "It is not to the person Kṛṣṇa." That means he is making distinction between Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's inside. So he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and he's writing comment on Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. It's going on. (Hindi) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...directly leads to Māyāvādī philosophy.

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvādī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Guest (4): (Hindi for couple sentences.)

Prabhupāda: He knows also.

Guest (4): I know also. He spoiled so many girls, you see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have gone to him so many times in Calcutta.

Guest (4): (Hindi) This is the story of before ten or fifteen years old.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, and now he's at the head of that Gītā Press.

Prabhupāda: Hiralal.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Bhava-bhūti: So same Māyāvādī concept.

Yaśomatīnandana: That is also Radhakrishnan who said that battlefield of Kurukṣetra is just a battle of soul and something...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yaśomatīnandana: The five Pāṇḍavas are the five senses, and the... Five Pāṇḍavas are the five senses actually. There is nothing like Mahābhārata war.

Bhava-bhūti: All allegory they want to dismiss it as.

Yaśomatīnandana: They think that this is all idols.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So then you should take your shoe and hit them in the face and say, "This is also allegory of how the material world slaps one." Actually...

Yaśomatīnandana: He says that Vyāsadeva is an imaginary character.

Prabhupāda: And in India the Māyāvāda poison has overflooded.

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Bhava-bhūti: Just like they import gañjā, they import Māyāvādī philosophy also.

Prabhupāda: In America.

Bhava-bhūti: Yeah. And all these books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Actually the Māyāvādī philosophy was started with Vivekananda. Because I don't find in the Christian faith that they are Māyāvādīs. Their belief is service to God. Of course, they are somewhat Māyāvādīs. But this real strong Māyāvādī was brought from East with Buddhism and Vivekananda's philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When I was studying, you know, books...

Prabhupāda: Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī.

Yaśomatīnandana: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda! (Prabhupāda chuckles)

Prabhupāda: All śūnyavādīs, Māyāvādīs, yes. Impersonalists.

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: But the body... But the body's not guru!

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvāda. That is Māyāvāda.

Dr. Patel: Even if you say guru is body,...

Prabhupāda: They make also Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's inside different.

Dr. Patel: Kṛṣṇa's body is different from your body and my body. Kṛṣṇa body is spiritual.

Prabhupāda: Then why do you make a... Once you say that guru is equal to Kṛṣṇa, and again Kṛṣṇa's body and Kṛṣṇa is not different, but guru's body and guru's soul is different.

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Kṛṣṇa's body is spiritual. His, any part of His body...

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādīs do that, that Kṛṣṇa...

Dr. Patel: He can hear, He can hear by His eye and hear by His finger. And satisfy anybody, by His anything.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That is all right. I mean to say that sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. When you accept guru equal to Kṛṣṇa, then you cannot make such distinction.

Dr. Patel: Bodily distinction...

Prabhupāda: Then why bodily or anything!?

Dr. Patel: It is very important.

Prabhupāda: It is the... No, no, no. They cannot make, say distinc...

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: ...that he's ātmā. You are worshiping God...

Prabhupāda: No, no. This is Māyāvāda.

Dr. Patel: Whatever vāda it is, I mean, that is...

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvāda says, "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is God within you." The Dr. Radhakrishnan said, the rascal. "Kṛṣṇa is within. The outside is material body." You have read that.

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: But rascals are not gurus.

Prabhupāda: No, no. The gurus, so-called gurus, there are. These Māyāvādīs, all they say. "I am God."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nārāyaṇa.

Prabhupāda: "Let me now have rāsa dance. Send your children. Send your wife, send your daughter. We'll dance." These are all rascals, Māyāvādīs. Māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). This is the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As soon as one hears the statement of Māyāvādī, he's doomed, finished. He's finished.

Dr. Patel: You have been bracketing so many good people like that, with the bad, and I feel strongly...

Prabhupāda: Where is good people?! Where is good people?!

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: I meet with all these fellows. We talk of general philosophy.

Prabhupāda: So we have got some discrimination! Our is only point: If anybody is a Māyāvādī, he's a dog. Kick him on his face!! That's all.

Dr. Patel: Māyāvādī means those people who...

Prabhupāda: No! Māyāvādī means Māyāvādī. That's all. No explanation.

Dr. Patel: What do you mean by Māyāvāda?

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī means who thinks like that...

Dr. Patel: All right, now, that is right.

Prabhupāda: ..."Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is different from His body." That is Māyāvādī.

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: There is no body of Kṛṣṇa. Whole thing is body.

Prabhupāda: So Māyāvādī does not know that.

Dr. Patel: And those people...

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvādī. They think that Kṛṣṇa comes with a "māyā body." Therefore they are Māyāvādīs.

Dr. Patel: Kṛṣṇa has control over the Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: There, you'll find, you'll find in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book, the same thing.

Dr. Patel: I never did read it.

Prabhupāda: No.

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: (Hindi.)

Prabhupāda: Yes, he has eulogized Ramakrishna, this Huxley. You know that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I didn't know.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Ramakrishna was a first-class Māyāvādī.

Dr. Patel: Which Ramakrishna?

Prabhupāda: This Ramakrishna Mission.

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That may be a truth, but all are not like that.

Prabhupāda: He was a pākā Māyāvādī.

Dr. Patel: That may be a truth...

Prabhupāda: I am still repeating. Repeating.

Dr. Patel: Let us go off.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was a pākā Māyāvādī. Just like... Just see that he said that he is a worshiper of goddess Kālī. Is it not?

Dr. Patel: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Eh? And he became God. By worshiping Kālī. Just see how much Māyāvādī he is. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "Anyone who is worshiping other demigods, his intelligence is lost." Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ. And this man says that worshiping a demigod, goddess Kālī, he became God. Just see. How much great Māyāvādī he is! Where is the śāstra, where is in the śāstra, Vedic śāstra, that one becomes God by worshiping goddess Kālī?

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (indistinct) will go tomorrow?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You time fix up. I am ready.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...when I don't remember, "Get out." This is Māyāvāda philosophy. "So long I require your help, I catch your hand. And as soon as I don't require, please get out" (break)

Gargamuni: We have Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He, he was worshiping Viṣṇu at home, and he was trying to kill Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, there are many Vaiṣṇavas like Jarāsandha-apparently worshiping Viṣṇu—but trying to kill Kṛṣṇa. Jarāsandha-Vaiṣṇava.

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: What is this land? (?) (break)

Prabhupāda: "...near the brahmajyoti, I don't want. Now I have merged." This is Māyāvāda theory.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is all that silt from the Ganges River, Prabhupāda.

Jayapatākā: This man, he wants to sell this land, seventeen bighās, for seven hundred rupees. (break)

Madhudviṣa: How is that possible?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Madhudviṣa: How is the Ganges flowing through the planetary systems?

Prabhupāda: So? It is not possible?

Madhudviṣa: I don't know. It is possible, but it is incomprehensible.

Prabhupāda: Everything is incomprehensible. How the planets are floating in this air?

Madhudviṣa: Because Kṛṣṇa is in them.

Prabhupāda: Then, similarly, Kṛṣṇa desires; everything is possible.

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura:

Bhavānanda: ...spiritual master. Then when he reaches a certain point, he lets go. What is...? What becomes of Him? He is also Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is Māyāvādī philosophy. (break) ...philosophy, cakhudāna dilo yei janme janme prabhu sei. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings that, "One who has opened my eyes, my spiritual master, he's my father, life after life." So how he can, he can say, "Go away now"? That is Māyāvāda philosophy.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Bhagavān: So there's so much to do in Kṛṣṇa's service, everyone can be engaged in some...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that everyone should know... Suppose one is engaged in cooking prasādam. You should see that nice prasādam is served to the worker, quickly, so they can take prasādam, be healthy and go on preaching. So he is helping preaching by cooking. Just like you are working and the brain is also working, "Go this side, go that side, the car is coming." Brain says, the... "Leg, come this side." Everyone is working. The leg is working, the brain is working, the hand is working, the tongue is working. But the business of the tongue and business of the leg is different. The aim being, the central point being Kṛṣṇa, to help, to serve Him, then everything is work, absolute. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand it. They think that "Kṛṣṇa is working like ordinary man. How He can become God? It is māyā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is also māyā." Therefore we called them Māyāvādī.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Because we are not lazy like Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: Yeah. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. "I have become now Brahman—stop work. Eat and make your belly..." You see how Māyāvādī sannyāsī... Ah. (Prabhupāda gestures; devotees laugh) They think that "Now I have become Brahman, I have nothing to do. (Prabhupāda laughs) I have become Nārāyaṇa." "If you've got nothing to do, then why you are eating?" And for one cāpāṭi you'll find there are many Māyāvādīs. They're busy simply collecting cāpāṭis.

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That's right. That is what I want to say.

Prabhupāda: No, that I admit! That I admit. That is the difficulty of the Māyāvādīs. They cannot distinguish the varieties.

Guest (3): Land is the whole Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The Māyāvādī...

Dr. Patel: Whenever it is (?) a question of matter is evolved from māyā. So we are Māyāvādīs, all of you and me.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Dr. Patel: Yes, because we are talking of māyā.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Māyā means śakti. Māyā means śakti.

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Māyāvāda! Māyāvāda, no?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is Māyāvāda. (chuckles.) Acintya-bheda... This is right philosophy. Acintya-bhedābheda. At the present moment we cannot think of how one thing is simultaneously one and different. Therefore it is acintya.

Dr. Patel: (Gujarati) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...to eleven. Why not give me.

Dr. Patel: No, I have given all contribution. And we start with you when you are here.

Prabhupāda: Then Bhāgavata is compared to the body of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa worships begins from the feet.

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Bhāgavata: Like you were saying last night, Prabhupāda... (break)

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādam asac-chāstraṁ pracchannaṁ bauddham ucyate, pracchannaṁ bauddham ucyate.

Dr. Patel: You call pracchanna, but I am open Buddha now, today, for the sake of argument. Let me understand it. There are various ways you can argue about the thing. God cannot be approached by argument...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Your difficulty is you are not submissive. Therefore you do not understand.

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Just like Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is expanding Himself in so many ways. Still, He's Kṛṣṇa. He's not impersonal. The Māyāvādī says, "Because Kṛṣṇa has expanded in so many ways, therefore no more Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is finished." Because this is Māyāvāda. "Because Kṛṣṇa has expanded in so many ways, therefore there is no personal Kṛṣṇa." This is Māyāvāda philosophy. But the Upaniṣads say, "No, even though He has expanded in so many thousands ways, still He's Kṛṣṇa."

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Hard, harsh, and hard and harsh...

Prabhupāda: The whole world is spoiled for these Māyāvādīs. Therefore I am very much hard.

Dr. Patel: What... I don't say hard. Hard and harsh...

Prabhupāda: No, we must be harder and harder.

Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: How can you be the master of a master?

Prabhupāda: That is not possible, but these Māyāvādīs tries for this.

Dr. Patel: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: These Māyāvādīs, they want to become the master. (Hindi) (break)

Prabhupāda: They are Māyāvādī?

Dr. Patel: No. They are Vaiṣṇavas. All Vaiṣṇavas.

Prabhupāda: But they worship...

Dr. Patel: They worship Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No. Kṛṣṇa and their original...

Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvāda. That is Māyāvāda.

Guest (1): That is Māyāvāda, or whatever it may be.

Dr. Patel: Everything is Māyāvāda.

Guest (2): Oh, Lord is Nārāyaṇa.

Prabhupāda: As soon as we say, "Our Swami is Nārāyaṇa," it is Māyāvāda.

Dr. Patel: It is not that. It is... What he says is not right.

Guest (1): No, that is, I understand. I have not...

Dr. Patel: You read all the magazines that I have read. He accepts... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...Vivekananda has done: daridra-nārāyaṇa. Here is "Swami Nārāyaṇa."

Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: See, he actually went to Badrinath. When we call Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, as our Lord, how is it Māyāvāda? How it comes into Māyāvādī?

Prabhupāda: That is explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Guru is accepted as good as God. Haritvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Saba-śāstra.

Dr. Patel: In all śāstras.

Prabhupāda: Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **, it is said. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. And this principle is accepted by great saintly persons. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He's not one with the Prabhu, but he's very dear servant of Prabhu.

Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That conception is Vaiṣṇavism. And as soon as you simply say that "He is God," that is Māyāvāda.

Guest (2): Yes but we are not... But he has wrongly...

Guest (1): No, Swami Nārāyaṇa, what I told you the principle of Swami Nārāyaṇa is that...

Guest (2): Swami Nārāyaṇa...

Dr. Patel: You have no right to speak.

Guest (1): No, no. What I understand about this...

Dr. Patel: There are three schools of Vaiṣṇavism. But that... In that school, the preaching and everything in the worship is the same, more or less.

Prabhupāda: (break) The thing is... This is the conclusion, that guru may be worshiped as Kṛṣṇa, but the worshiper knows that "I am worshiping my guru not because he has become Kṛṣṇa, but he is the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is Vaiṣṇava.

Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is the difference between Vaiṣṇava school and Māyāvādī school. Advaita-vāda and dvaita-vāda. They become very strong, at the same time, remain servant.

Dr. Patel: These śuddhādvaita-vādīs, their upper garment and lower garment the same as... (break) ...you call Māyāvādīs, they say that this is all humbug and nothing and nonexistence. They... (break) ...both are one and both are right and both are existent and both are... There is no illusion, as you say. The same thing.

Prabhupāda: Simultaneously one and different.

Morning Walk -- March 24, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That is a little (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: So unless you accept this difference, then it is Māyāvāda. Simply oneness is Māyāvāda.

Dr. Patel: That's right. You may... You accept one and the same, separate both or another explana..., another, only Kṛṣṇa knows and nobody knows.

Prabhupāda: No, no. No, why Kṛṣṇa knows? One who is Kṛṣṇa's devotee, he knows also.

Dr. Patel: All are Vaiṣṇava devotees, aren't they?

Prabhupāda: No, no. This is Māyāvāda. Not all of.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That is not Māyāvādī. That is not Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: That is... That is... That is not. I don't... If I say "I am not Indian, I am not American. I am Brahman," that is not Māyāvāda.

Guest (1): That is not Māyāvāda.

Prabhupāda: Because I am Brahman actually.

Dr. Patel: Enveloped for a day.

Prabhupāda: But...

Guest (1): Mano, buddhi, ahaṅkāra, (Sanskrit)

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. I do not belong to any of these material things.

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is not Māyāvāda. But the Śaṅkarācārya's interpretation is that ghaṭākāśa-potakasa (?), ghaṭākāśa-potakasa (?). Just like within the pot there is ākāśa. And outside the ākāśa, outside the pot, there is ākāśa. When the pot is broken, both the ākāśa becomes one.

Morning Walk -- March 26, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Abuddhayaḥ. That is the position. "God is nirākāra. Now He has assumed a form, accepting māyā." This is Māyāvāda philosophy.

Dr. Patel: No, but the difference between God and us, that the God has control over the māyā, while we are controlled by the māyā, the jīvas.

Prabhupāda: But they do not know what is māyā even.

Dr. Patel: Then if they know māyā, then you call them Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Māyāvādī is different.

Morning Walk -- March 26, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: And you call them rascals.

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī is different. Māyāvādī is different. But those who are completely ignorant, that is another thing. That is another thing. Māyāvādīs, they pose themselves as knowing everything.

Dr. Patel: But I tell you, Śaṅkarācārya was not that Māyāvādī which you call Māyāvādī. He was...

Prabhupāda: I am not talking of Śaṅkarācārya.

Dr. Patel: Śaṅkarācārya's philosophy has been misunderstood, and they are, those are the people who, real Māyāvādīs. Śaṅkarācārya was, I mean, a... (break)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (break) There is no mercy. If he says, "No, no. I shall, I shall rub over your belly and it will be cured," is that the means? It must go on, operation, surgical operation. That is treatment. If you become kind, "No, no, no, it is very difficult. I will give him something. It will cure," That is not treatment. (Hindi) (break) Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu (BG 16.19).

Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Chandobhai: I think that is the crux of the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So īśvara... That, this, this, I was discussing the other day. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Īśvara. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi sann avyayātmā. So Kṛṣṇa is always īśvara. We are īśvara in the family or in the office or in my society. But we are not that type of īśvara, that I can live within the heart of everyone. Therefore there is distinction between this īśvara and we īśvara. The Māyāvādīs, they do not understand this. He claims that "I am the same īśvara." But do you remain in everyone's heart? Can you study, can you study what I am thinking now? But still, they will say, "I am the same." This is Māyāvādī philosophy's defect.

Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Therefore He says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. That is the difference. But the Māyāvādī will not accept this.

Chandobhai: Kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ tad jñānam...

Prabhupāda: That is jñānam. They are in ajñāna, still, they are claiming that "We are jñānī." You see. This is the defect.

Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Only, only a part. That is Kṛṣṇa. And these rascals thinking, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is as good as I am." Just see. The Māyāvādī rascals, they think like that, that "I am as good as Kṛṣṇa." "Kṛṣṇa played rāsa-līlā. Therefore I shall do."

Dr. Patel: These Māyāvādīs... Māyāvādī is one who thinks himself to be all in all.

Prabhupāda: Means rascal number one. "All in all, I am one," that is, means rascal number one.

Dr. Patel: How do you explain ahaṁ brahmāsmi?

Prabhupāda: You are by quality Brahman, spirit.

Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So that the Māyāvādīs do not know. "Why aṁśa? I am the same. I am the whole." Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Therefore they are rotting in this material world, hard struggle for existence.

Dr. Patel: Śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ...

Prabhupāda: Ah. And that is going on, transmigration.

Chandobhai: ...gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt. How the body goes away?

Prabhupāda: Yes. According, according to the quality or the modes of nature, he has to change his body. This Māyāvāda philosophy has made the whole world atheist. They don't believe in God.

Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: I think this, what do you call Māyāvāda philosophy is not... (break)

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī was introduced...

Chandobhai: By Buddha.

Prabhupāda: ...by Śaṅkara.

Chandobhai: Śaṅkara and Jains mostly.

Prabhupāda: Māyāvāda...

Dr. Patel: Jains are, they are... They don't believe in God. Jains are... Their soul is as long as their body. If that leg is cut, the soul's leg is cut.

Prabhupāda: No. Without, without going to other philosophies, best thing is to stick to your own philosophy and try to understand.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: He's the presiding...

Prabhupāda: Therefore... Therefore there are two kṣetra-jñas: one, the jīvātmā, and one, the Paramātmā. The Māyāvādīs do not accept it. They say the only kṣetra-jñaḥ. Jivātmā and Paramātmā the same.

Chandobhai: Dvau suparṇā...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is confirmed by the Upaniṣads.

Chandobhai: Dvau suparṇā are there...

Prabhupāda: There are two birds.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Stay together, live together.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But the Māyāvādīs, they says there is no jīvātmā. The same thing, Paramātmā. That is not.

Dr. Patel: Those two birds are living on the same tree.

Prabhupāda: That is the difference. That is the difference. Paramātmā and jīvātmā, what is the difference? Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. I... This is very practical, that I am the jīvātmā. I am living in this body. I know the business of my body, pains and pleasures, but I do not know what is the pains and pleasures of your body. You also do not know what is the pains and pleasures... Therefore we are individual. But Paramātmā, because He's there, He knows what is your pains and pleasure, what is my pains and pleasure. Not only you, but all living entities.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So amānitvam. Instead of becoming amānitvam, these Māyāvādīs say, "I am God." Just see. This is amānitvam. He falsely claims that "I have become God now." Does it mean amānitvam? And here, Vaiṣṇava says, gopī-bhartuḥ pāda-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is amānitvam. This is amān... "I am servant of the servant." And these rascals are claiming, "I am God." This is amānitvam.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So the hiṁsā begins from the Supreme. So all negative. These Māyāvādīs, they are hiṁsā, they are proud, they have no sense of what is amānitvam. This is Māyāvāda philosophy.

Dr. Patel: Kṣāntir ārjavam.

Prabhupāda: And there cannot be śanti. Because... There cannot be. Śanti must be there.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Unlimited hand. Unlimited hand. That, that you cannot... "How Kṛṣṇa have body, this?" The Māyāvādī philosophers think, "How there can be body? If He has a body, then He has limited potency." He cannot understand that although He has got body, He has got unlimited potency. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. That is different from this body. Because he understands that "There cannot be any body different from this," they say nirākāra. Not nirākāra. He has got body. He has got senses. He has got hand. But not like you.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Upadraṣṭānumantā ca... (BG 13.23). (break)

Prabhupāda: ...ātmā, Paramātmā. Yes.

Dr. Patel: ...paramātmeti cāpy ukto dehe 'smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ.

Prabhupāda: This is... And these Māyāvādī rascals say that the Paramātmā and jīvātmā are the same.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Mr. Sar: Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3).

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore the Māyāvādīs cannot understand. Although they have come to the point of siddha, still they cannot understand. Yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). They are siddhas because they have understood that "I am not this body, ahaṁ brahmāsmi." This much they have understood. But still they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3).

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Soul is also prakṛti. Soul is not puruṣa. The Māyāvādīs, they consider soul as puruṣa. But it is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti. Prakṛti... Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). Jīva-bhūtā, the soul which is now covered with this material body is called jīva-bhūtā.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Or, or people calling prakṛti as puruṣa is Māyāvāda.

Prabhupāda: Eh? No, no. Prakṛti, jīva, yayedaṁ dhāryate ja... They are working... They are trying to enjoy. But... They are trying to be enjoyer. But that is not possible. Prakṛti is enjoyed. Just like strī-puruṣa. Puruṣa is enjoyer, and strī is enjoyed. Similarly, prakṛti is used for the satisfaction of the puruṣa. So if the jīva is prakṛti, then the puruṣa, puruṣa is the Supreme Person. Therefore his business is to satisfy the Supreme Purusa. This is bhakti-yoga.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And the Māyāvādī philosophy, they say it is puruṣa. Therefore... Therefore aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. The Māyāvādīs, Māyāvādīs are described as aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ.

Dr. Patel: Buddha was also an avatāra of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Oh... And in Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, abuddhayaḥ. What is that śloka?

Mr. Sar: Abuddhayaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Manyante mām abuddhayaḥ.

Mr. Sar: Abuddhayaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ ma...

Mr. Sar: Manyante mām abuddhayaḥ, param...

Prabhupāda: Abuddhayaḥ. So these Māyāvādīs are abuddhayaḥ. They are not intelligent.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: So that way Vāsudeva is sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Hogya. Same thing He is...

Prabhupāda: Huh. But Vāsudeva is there. It does not mean... Māyāvādī says, "Because Vāsudeva has got everything, He has become everything, He's finished."

Mr. Sar: Vāsudeva still above.

Dr. Patel: That is... Nobody says that.

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvāda. Yes. That is Māyāvāda, impersonalism. They don't accept the person. That... "Because Vāsudeva has expanded Himself in so many ways, therefore the identity of Vāsudeva is finished."

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Mām api. So why not go to Kṛṣṇa? Why to these... (break) The Māyāvādīs, they think that Kṛṣṇa has got His māyā body. His body's māyā. Because the origin, Absolute, is impersonal, so when the Absolute comes in form, He accepts the material elements just like we do. We do. So they are abuddhayaḥ. Their intelligence is abu...

Mr. Sar: Avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ manyante mām abuddhayaḥ (BG 7.24).

Prabhupāda: Vyaktim āpannaṁ.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Mr. Sar: No, He cannot. He's the Lord of māyā.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But these Māyāvādīs says that "Kṛṣṇa is also, when He comes, He comes under the influence of māyā." This is called Māyāvāda. (break) ...these bhūta, material, material adhibhūtas. And adhiyajña. Adhiyajña is Paramātmā. And adhibhuta, material. And adhidaiva...

Dr. Patel: Is the other demigods.

Prabhupāda: Devas, yes.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

Prabhupāda: Yes. So therefore one who has taken to this... Sometimes these Māyāvādīs rascals say that the bhakti is meant for the less intelligent class of men. So how he can be less intelligent? Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. So Kṛṣṇa personally gives you intelligence. So how He can be less intelligent?

Dr. Patel: He gives intelligence that, dadami buddhi-yogam.

Prabhupāda: Ah. And what kind of buddhi-yoga?

Dr. Patel: "By which you can reach Me."

Prabhupāda: Yes. By which he can go back to home, back to Godhead. That kind of buddhi-yoga. Not this buddhi-yoga, how to exploit the whole world and become Hiranyakasipu.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Teṣām. Who are those, teṣām? Not all. Satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, teṣām. It is a special favor for them. Teṣām evānukampārtham. So if Kṛṣṇa dissipates ignorance from the heart of a person, how he can be less intelligent? If somebody is guided by the most perfect intellect, intellectual, then how he can be less intelligent? So these Māyāvādīs' accusation that bhakti is meant for the less intelligent class and jñāna is meant for the higher class of men, so this accusation is refuted that "No, don't think that the devotees are less intelligent, because I am guiding them."

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Arjuna talked with Kṛṣṇa personally. So his experience is first-hand. So how this rascal can imagine of Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa is like this, Kṛṣṇa is like that." If you actually reading Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, you have to accept it. This is called paramparā. So what is the experience of Arjuna? Arjuna said, "You are, you are the Supreme Personality, puruṣam. You are not female. You are not prakṛti. You are puruṣa, śaśvata, and the original, śaśvatam, eternally." Not that, the Māyāvādīs, "Now impersonal..." Yes, read one line. That is sufficient.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: But he must have got special powers deputed to certain people. And these are that vibhūtis.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. That is vibhūti. That does not mean... Māyāvādī philosophy is: "Because He has spread everywhere, therefore He is imperson." He remains person, without any change, avyaya. But still, He is spread. That he is asking that "How I shall understand You, that You are spread everywhere." Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is... So we have to understand from Kṛṣṇa how He is all-pervading, not that mental speculation. "Just like if you take a thing and distribute all over, the original thing is lost." Not like that. Original Kṛṣṇa is there.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Munīnām apy ahaṁ vyāsaḥ kavīnām uśanā kaviḥ.

Prabhupāda: Not "I am you." That is Māyāvāda. Dhanañjaya especially, not the rascals.

Dr. Patel: "You" means he is talking with whom? Dhanañjaya.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, Dhanañjaya. You can take, Dhanañjaya. Not that general people.

Dr. Patel: But that is what He says, that "I am you." Kṛṣṇa says...

Prabhupāda: Not you, Dhanañjaya. "You" means... Why you are changing the word? No, no, it is said, Dhanañjaya. You say Dhanañjaya.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: One of the features of His multiple features.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Virāṭ-rūpa. Not that the... Māyāvādīs take the virāṭ-rūpa is the origin, and this rūpa, Kṛṣṇa, that is māyā. Therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. But actually, Hari manifested or exhibited...

Dr. Patel: One of his multiple...

Prabhupāda: Multiple features.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Devāṁs, devāṁs, tava deva dehe means "devas, the demigods, they are part and parcel of Your virāṭa-rupa." They are not independent. Just like this finger is part of my this whole body, similarly, all these devas, these demigods... That is explained previously. Ye 'py anya-devatā bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ, te 'pi mām eva. If you give something to my finger, that is to be given to my body, but that is avidhi-pūrvakam. The thing's to be given to the mouth, not in the hand. But their logic is, because everything is the same, why not here? That is Māyāvāda. Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Yaśomatīnandana: They think that "Kṛṣṇa's body is just like mine."

Prabhupāda: This is Māyāvāda. This has been explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā.

Dr. Patel: That's right. It was in me. Any of your ideas, it is, other than Kṛṣṇa, is māyā.

Prabhupāda: Please let me explain. Matir na kṛṣṇe. No, just explain. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. Parataḥ means "from other sources." Just like I am explaining. That is parataḥ. And svato means...

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Therefore it is said, avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ manyante mām abuddhayaḥ (BG 7.24). They, these Māyāvādīs, they think, "Originally the Absolute Truth is avyakta. Now He has assumed, Kṛṣṇa, the form, accepting a body of māyā." This is called Māyāvāda. Abuddhayaḥ. They have no intelligence that spiritually the Lord is always vyakti, a person. Either Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, any way, He is always person.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is the Māyāvādī's version. They do not accept the Purāṇas. This is Māyāvādī version. But our paramparā system, Madhvācārya, he has accepted Purāṇas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, as Vedic literature. So we have to follow the ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo... Yes. Not only Madhvācārya, all, all other ācāryas.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: That is what we say.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Dvi-bhuja murlidhara śyāmasundara. Venuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbudha-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). Arcā-vigraha. Venuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁ... Barha, this peacock feather. They are described in the Vedic literature, but these rascals say, "That it is imagination. They have imagined." The Māyāvādīs say, "They have imagined a form of God as Kṛṣṇa, with peacock feather, with murlī." But that's not the fact. The fact is there in the Vedic literature. So Kṛṣṇa has got this universal form, but the devotees are not interested with this universal form. But they know that Kṛṣṇa has universal form.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now he is describing who are offering prayers. All the big, big demigods, surāsaṅgha, they are respectfully offering. And they cannot be equal. The Māyāvādī says, "All the demigods, you chant, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or Kālī Kṛṣṇa or Durgā Kṛṣṇa, this is all the same."

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Kṛṣṇa is not only one name. There are... All the names of God are...

Prabhupāda: No, no, that is Māyāvāda.

Dr. Patel: That is wrong. Then we disbelieve that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa has got name...

Dr. Patel: All the names of God are Kṛṣṇa's names. That is what we are taught from our birth.

Prabhupāda: Then why you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? You can chant any name.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...maybe. Go on reading. (break) ...asac chāstram pracchanaṁ bauddham ucyate. The Māyāvāda is a very dangerous philosophy. It has made the whole world atheistic. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Māyāvādam asac-chāstraṁ pracchanaṁ bauddham ucyate. They cannot understand that this is a dangerous philosophy.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Samādhi, we are offering respect to the ācāryas. Yes. Not that we are simply worshiping samādhi. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa also, side by side. It is not that... Then samādhi worship is finished. That is ācārya. Ācārya is, although worshiped as the Supreme Lord, but the Lord is also worshiped. And these Māyāvādīs, they give up the worship of Lord. So therefore they are Māyāvādīs. In Māyāvādī temple you'll find the picture of the guru and not the picture of Kṛṣṇa. I have seen in Surat, one temple of "Rāma." There is no Rāma. Guru is Rāma. That's all. Guru brahma, (Hindi) (break) ...caittya-guru, because he has merged into the existence of Lord, he has become Lord. "Merging-Lord. Daridra-nārāyaṇa, merging-nārāyaṇa."

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everyone. All philosophies, they are more or less Māyāvāda. All Māyāvāda. Different types of Māyāvāda philosophy. Therefore they should be discarded. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. What you are, all students?

Students: Yes. (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Student: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: You have seen our temple?

Student: Not seen your temple.

Prabhupāda: So? You are not interested in Kṛṣṇa philosophy?

Indian man (2): That's right. They are very interested.

Prabhupāda: The... Every young boy, or even young child... Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). And that is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was a five years old child, and he was teaching his class friends Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So in that teaching he said... The other children, they said, "Why you are teaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Let us play." So he answered, "No, no, my dear friends." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. This science, Bhagavad-dharma, should be learned from the very beginning of life. That is Vedic culture. Brahmacārīs, they were living at the place of guru and learning this science. That is Vedic culture. (break) ...boys of Europe and America, they are accepting this Vedic culture.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Not only existence. What is God, first of all. He must exist. Otherwise, where there is question of "What is God?" So what is the nature of God, what is our position, what is our relationship with God, what is our duty, and what is the goal of life, these things are very thoroughly discussed in Bhagavad-gītā. So if we understand Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, then we understand the whole science of God. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...that Kṛṣṇa comes, descends personally, to settle up the contention whether God is person or imperson. So even the Kṛṣṇa's presence cannot convince these Māyāvādīs, poor fund of knowledge, that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord is person.

Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: These Māyāvādī philosophers, they create God. Anthropomorphism. What is that anthropomorphism.

Satsvarūpa: To imagine that God has a form. Man imagines God, not that God exists originally, but man imagines God based on his own form.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anthropomorphism it is called. They create a form, but that is not the fact. God has His eternal form. That I explained. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Vigraha means form. And it is sac-cid-ānanda, means eternal, full of knowledge and... Just like Kṛṣṇa is speaking Bhagavad-gītā. People are accepting, because that is real knowledge. And nobody reads other books so carefully. And this Bhagavad-gītā is read all over the world. All big, big scholars, big, big philosophers, theologists, they read. Because that is real knowledge. That is the proof.

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is nonsense. (laughing) "I have got bhakti, but I don't do anything for You. You go home." So that is not bhakti. Bhakti must be exhibited by activity. That is the definition of bhakti. Śravaṇam kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). So these are the nine different ways of expressing bhakti. First thing is śravaṇam. Śravaṇam. Śravaṇam kīrtanaṁ, chanting and hearing. Of whom? Of Viṣṇu. Śravaṇam kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Not of any other one. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that "We can chant anyone's name, either I chant of any demigod's name or any name."

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But that is the system. That is the system. You should begin. That... That is described in the Bhāgavatam. The First and Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are the two legs of Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). These professional reciters, they read Bhāgavata. They jump over immediately to the face. The Tenth Canto is described as the face of Kṛṣṇa. So you cannot go immediately to the head. You must begin from the feet. First Canto, Second Canto. Therefore there are nine cantos, and then Tenth Canto. And the Kṛṣṇa's rasa dance, that is the smiling of Kṛṣṇa. So you cannot ask the superior to take the facility of his smiling. Smiling will be when he is pleased. The difficulty is that the Māyāvādī philosophy, they do not accept the form of the Lord. And they do not know how to behave with the form.

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī philosophy is that "This business is useless, so stop it altogether." No. That is negation. If you stop... Just like a child, if you stop playing mischief, always doing, then he will be mad, psychologically. You must give him some engagement, better engagement, so that he will not commit any more mischief. So bhakti is a service, activity. If he is not engaged in activity, then he will become again a rascal. Because we are living entities. We are not dead stone. That is bhakti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ (CC Madhya 19.170).

Morning Walk -- April 16, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why there is difference? (break) ...and Kṛṣṇa's power is compared. Brahmā's power is just like glowworm, and Kṛṣṇa's power is just like day sunlight. (break) The power displayed, they are of different degrees. That is the difference. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say everything is water. They give that example. But the sea water, the force of the sea water, and the water in a pot, small pot, the degrees of force are different. In England it is very common to say, "Lord Chelmsford. Lord Chelmsford," do you know?

Dr. Patel: We used to call him Chelemfor.

Prabhupāda: No. So Chelmsford is a place, is a village. But he is called Lord Chelmsford. He is personified. Like that.

Morning Walk -- April 24, 1974, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: (Prabhupāda talks meaningless words, imitating the rascals; devotees laugh) They go on speaking like this. And people, "Oh, how amazing!" Simply give some grammatical form and talk all nonsense, people will appreciate. Jugglery. This is called jugglery. The Māyāvādī paṇḍitas also do that. All the Māyāvādīs are against me, because I am talking about Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and they screw their own meaning by jugglery of words. So they are all enemies. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, smārta-paṇḍitas, all of them. (break) ...has constructed a śiva-liṅga temple.

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 2, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...double feature is not understood by the Māyāvādīs. If Kṛṣṇa has created the whole, so why he should be separate? He is not separate, still separate. (break) ...regularly this book Kṛṣṇa, he will be liberated, simply by reading this book.

Room Conversation with Catholic Cardinal and Secretary to the Pope -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī philosophers, they sometimes say that "We are now in māyā. As soon as we are out in māyā, then we become master." We do not agree to this philosophy. We remain servant even after liberation. We are servant here and we are servant always. Just like a citizen and government. The government is always master. If you do not accept the laws of government, then you are put into prison. There also you are subjected to the laws of God, or the government. Similarly, either in māyā or liberated, we are always servant, eternal servant. But when we are servant in liberation, giving service to God, that is our real life or real happiness. But when we give service to the māyā, that is our miserable condition. So in Moscow I have been. I had a long talk with Professor Kotofsky, the Indologist.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa was a beautiful boy and they were attracted by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa. They wanted Him as their husband, lover, to dance with them. That is the gopīs. And these rascals are taking that "This is very good. Kṛṣṇa also did like this. So let us do; gather some girls and dance, and we become Kṛṣṇa." This is Māyāvāda, Therefore Vyāsadeva has devoted nine cantos just to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then try to understand what is the gopīs' behavior with Kṛṣṇa. But these rascals jump over it. Sahajiyās. Jump over Kṛṣṇa's dealing with the gopīs. And that is Bhāgavata. Because rascals, they shall remain rascal.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: If the Māyāvādī accepts the principle that bhakti is good, but at the end he throws it away, will he have a change of heart?

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvāda. That is Māyāvāda. They have no conception of the eternity of bhakti. That is Māyāvāda.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Will the change in heart come about for such persons because they're somehow associated with Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Just like Kaṁsa associated with Kṛṣṇa always, their position is like that. That is not bhakti. Bhakti is ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167), favorable, not to reject Kṛṣṇa or kill Kṛṣṇa, and think of Kṛṣṇa, "How to kill Him? How to kill Him? How to kill Him?" That is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but that is not favorable. Therefore it is not bhakti. But they get the salvation because they have some way or other thought of Kṛṣṇa. Impersonal salvation. They are not allowed to enter into the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Mr. Herbert?

Bhagavān: Yes. He's asking your opinion of him.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is a scholar, but he is impersonalist.

Jyotirmayī: (French)

Prabhupāda: So I met him. He is a good gentleman, scholar, but he is a Māyāvādī, he is impersonalist.

Jyotirmayī: (French)

Prabhupāda: But if he... He has already written one book. He has presented me, that Kṛṣṇa...

Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Karandhara: In the West also, in the past ten years there's been a resurgence of what's called fundamentalism. For so long the Christian liturgy, the Christian doctrine, got so hodge-podge and so wishy-washy that people were leaving because there was simply nothing there solid for them to grasp onto. Now fundamentalism, or the very basic principles that God is the Almighty and that we are sinners and if we don't repent, God's going to strike us down with wrath and anger, that basic principle of fear of God, that is receiving new support. Many people are coming back to that because even though it's a very vague thing, still it's something definite. "God is there, and if I do something wrong, He's going to cut me down," rather than, "Well, nothing's wrong, nothing's right," it's all hodge-podge, wish wash. People can't grasp onto that. There's nothing for them to...

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvāda, "nothing wrong, nothing right. Everything is all right," Vivekananda's philosophy.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: So comparative philosophy, Māyāvāda, that Advaita-vāda, Dvaita-vāda, Viśiṣṭādvaita. Which of them you like? Or you remain simply student? You remain neutral or you like some philosophy?

Professor La Combe: I try to be objective, but not neutral. I have more personal affinity with Śaṅkara, er, with Rāmānuja than with Śaṅkara.

Prabhupāda: No, Rāmānuja...

Bhagavān: Personal attraction.

Professor La Combe: Yes. Although, of course, I try... I have written another book on Śaṅkara and Rāmānuja compared, you see.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Misconception, yes. The majority of Indian population, they are personalists. Yes, majority. Either they worship God or demigod, but they are personalists. Recently the Māyāvādī philosophers, they have poisoned, the impersonalism, calamity. God is person. It is... In the Veda it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). There are millions of persons. We are all persons. And God is the chief person. Just like in modern democracy, there is no monarch. But ultimately they have to select one president. Without person, there cannot be government. Why they do not remain without a president? Let it... Government, everything is government, impersonal.

Room Conversations -- September 11, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: This is going on, the Māyāvādī rascals. But they do not refer where Kṛṣṇa says that "You become My devotee, then you become pushed (indistinct)."

Brahmānanda: They showed the two bodies coming together.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Brahmānanda: I think the picture of the two bodies...

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says that "You and Me and all these soldiers, we existed before, we are existing now, and we shall exist in this way in the future." Where does He say that "We shall be mixed up"? He never says. And these rascals, they have got so many parties, the same thing. Where do you get this idea? There is sayujya-mukti, but Kṛṣṇa never says that "You take it." All this Ramakrishna Mission, all these, this (indistinct), he gives the example that rivers come from different sources, but when it comes to the ocean it is mixed up.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk Through the BBT Warehouse -- February 10, 1975, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: The Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Lord Caitanya in Five Features, that chapter that we printed.

Jayatīrtha: These are the ones that you wanted us to bring for distribution to the Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Māyāvādīs.

Rāmeśvara: Just before Christmas this wall was filled up, and now it is practically empty. We have sold so many books just in a few months. All up to the ceiling it was filled up. Now we have to reprint.

Prabhupāda: Now it is only in English language. In every language such big go-down should... Yes. (chuckles) You have taken Spanish, and he is German. Then... Then overflood. No more other literature. (laughter) Ara nāhe bābā. They'll say, "No, no, we don't want any other literature." Yes, George says, "No more singing anything except Kṛṣṇa." Does he not say? He says like that.

Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Prabhupāda: Existence of thing... I say that at night, when I am dreaming, I do not see existence of these things. And at this time, in daytime, when I am seeing these things, I do not see the existence of the dream. So the conclusion should be both these things I see in daytime and I see at night, they have no existence. They are phenomenal. But I am the seer; I am eternal. I am existing. This is the proof. Because at night I am seeing and daytime I am seeing, so therefore I am eternal. But the phenomenal manifestation, they are temporary. We don't say it is false. Temporary. The Māyāvādī philo... Śaṅkara said it is false. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Mithyā means false. We don't say false. We don't say that this book is false. It has got reality, but temporary.

Morning Walk -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:

Hṛdayānanda: So that's like a new light that you have given. I noticed in your lectures that you were always saying that these things were art. It took a while for me to understand it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nothing belongs to you. Why should you claim it is yours? They are claiming North America "ours," South America "ours." So how it became yours? It was already there, and you came as a immigrant, and it becomes yours? (break) Karmīs, they are claiming, "It is our property." And the jñānīs, they are living that "This is mithyā," and give it up. Both of them in the wrong. It is created by somebody, how you can say mithyā, false? Māyāvādī says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The whole cosmic manifestation is false." How it is false? And karmīs, they are claiming unnecessarily, "It is mine." Creator is different person, and he is claiming, "mine". That is also false.

Room Conversation with Metaphysics Society -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:

Lady (Hṛdayānanda): This is Māyāvādī philosophy. She's saying that when she says, "I am," she doesn't mean "I" in the sense of the lower self but in the higher self.

Prabhupāda: That we have admitted. God is spirit; I am spirit. So both of them "I." But God's power and your power is not equal. God said, "Let there be creation." There was creation. But you say, "Let there be capati," there will be no capati unless you work. (laughter) You have to work for it.

Room Conversation with Metaphysics Society -- February 21, 1975, Caracas:

Lady (Hṛdayānanda): Māyāvāda. She says that everyone has the Christ within him.

Prabhupāda: No, we don't agree with all these things.

Lady (Hṛdayānanda): If we agree with Buddhist consciousness?

Prabhupāda: No, no, whatever consciousness may be, I say that in the Bible it is said that son of God is Christ. His name is Christ. How you can deny the name? No, no, that is their interpretation, "Christ means 'I am.' " They want to interpret in their own way. There is name.

Morning Walk -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: You haven't got to leave anything, provided you understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not after leaving or accepting. We are not after this. We are after understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What... What shall I leave? Suppose if I leave city—I come here—still it is God's property. So what, what I leave? What I have got that I have to leave? Everything God's property. If you have something, then you can leave. But if you have nothing, what you will leave? It is another bogus. This is Māyāvādī theory. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Why jagan mithyā? If Brahman is satya, jagan is also satya. (break) ...means they are trying to possess, and the jñānīs are trying to leave—both of them rascals.

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:

Pañcadraviḍa: One devotee was talking with a Māyāvādī sannyāsī, famous sannyāsī. So he said that "Your desire to attain mukti, that is a material desire."

Prabhupāda: No, we don't want mukti.

Pañcadraviḍa: Yes. So...

Prabhupāda: Mukti flatters me: "Please accept me." We don't want mukti.

Pañcadraviḍa: So the devotee went on, "To want to become one with the Lord, that is material desire." So the Māyāvādī, he answered, he said, "No, to want to remain separate from the Lord and enjoy rasa, or exchange, with Him, that is also material desire. Because you want to stay two, God and you, so you can be separate just so you can enjoy an exchange. That is also a desire."

Prabhupāda: Therefore, because you have no brain, therefore you cannot understand the rasas with Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual; that is not material. Ānanda-rasa. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is the Vedic statement. There is cinmaya. In the spiritual world there is ananda. You... You have no knowledge.

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: We get good energy. That he cannot conceive. He thinks that "If there is passing of stool again, then it must be the same suffering as I am undergoing now in this condition." So the Māyāvādī's idea of spiritual life means negation of these material activities. But they have no idea that similar activities are there in spiritual life, but that is not material. That is their poor fund of knowledge. Therefore we are... You are not understanding Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtīv hlādinī-śaktir asmāt. That I am explaining for the last few days. That is not at all this material. So unless there is loving affair in the spiritual world, how here it is as perverted reflection? It is the reflection of the reality. The reality is there. That they cannot understand.

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:

Madhudviṣa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, a question arose the other day in class if there was a difference between Brahman-realized yogi and a Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Madhudviṣa: Someone like the Kumaras... Were the Kumāras, before they became attracted to Viṣṇu, were they Māyāvādīs?

Prabhupāda: Not Māyāvādīs.

Trivikrama: Impersonalists.

Prabhupāda: Impersonalists.

Madhudviṣa: What is the difference between an impersonalist and a Māyāvādī?

Prabhupāda: Very little difference, but still, there is difference.

Trivikrama: Māyāvādīs are offenders.

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādīs means they are speaking that "Everything is māyā; Kṛṣṇa is also māyā." And impersonalist means they are thinking that "To merge into the Brahman effulgence is better than to keep our personal identity."

Morning Walk -- April 7, 1975, Mayapur:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Why did God arrange for the pleasures of sense gratification if He wants us to go back to home, back to Godhead?

Prabhupāda: Yes, senses are meant for enjoyment. But if you want to enjoy your senses in diseased condition, that is your misfortune. You have to cure your disease, then you will enjoy. Just like the tongue, in diseased condition, even if you are given rasagullā, you will not taste it. Senses, we are not the Māyāvādīs, they finish the senses, make, become impersonal. That is not our program. We want to purify the senses. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Purīfy. The diseased man, he cannot see. He has got some glaucoma disease. Cure it, and he will see very nicely. That is our program. The Māyāvādī program is that if this eye is giving trouble, I cannot see, pluck it out. We are not doing that, we are trying to cure the disease and see. So senses should be cured, and then you will be able to enjoy. That is our program. We are not stopping sense enjoyment; we are trying to give you real sense enjoyment.

Morning Walk -- April 7, 1975, Mayapur:

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Is that considered attempting to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, simply to give up, say, material sense enjoyment?

Prabhupāda: No, these tyāgīs, Māyāvādīs, by their process they may attempt paraṁ padam, means Brahman effulgence. But Brahman effulgence being simply, what is called, eternity. But a living entity does not want simply eternal life, but he wants ānanda.

Morning Walk -- April 28, 1975, Vrndavana:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Ekadaṇḍī.

Prabhupāda: He took sannyāsa from Māyāvādī.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Why did Nityānanda Prabhu break His daṇḍa?

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not require any.

Acyutānanda: After taking sannyāsa, though, He had śikha and Tulasī mālā? No.

Prabhupāda: He was Māyāvādī. (chuckles) (laughter)

Acyutānanda: Someone wrote that only Caitanya Mahāprabhu can say ahaṁ brahmāsmi. He is the only Māyāvādī who can actually say aham brahmāsmi, because He is Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: He is brahmāsmi, no. He is parabrahmāsmi. Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmine.

Evening Discussion -- May 6, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Inside does not mean He is not beside. We are inside this room, that does not mean I an not beside the room. Because I live within the room, does it mean that the room and myself are the same? Then, why don't you understand this? God may be within anything, but that does not mean that He is equal or one with that thing. That is Māyāvādī philosophy, foolish philosophy. Because I am within this room, does it mean that the room and myself are the same? I am more important than the room. So what is the difficulty to understand? Does it mean because I am within the room, I am less important than the room? The room is important or I am important? Who is important?

Amogha: You are.

Prabhupāda: So similarly, Kṛṣṇa may enter within anything, but still He is more important than anything. This is simultaneous. Aṇḍāntarasthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntarastham—Kṛṣṇa is within and without. That is Kṛṣṇa's position. Antaḥ bahiḥ avasthitam—in Kunti's prayers you will find that Kṛṣṇa, "You are within, and you are without, still nobody can understand." That is stated. What is our experience? Within and without.

Morning Walk -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: But isn't it better to give up all ego altogether?

Prabhupāda: Why? Why? That is Māyāvādī philosophy. We make our ego purified. "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is wanted. Not that to make my egoism zero. That is Māyāvāda. They are disappointed, they think finish this egoism. It cannot be finished. Because you are individual soul, it cannot be finished. Simply it has to be purified. I am thinking Indian, you are thinking American. You are neither American neither Indian. We are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Direct we have to come to that point. Not to falsely think that I am American, I am Indian, I am cat, I am dog. That has to be finished. But you'll come to the real egoism, that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That "I am" will go on. No that... They are thinking in a way to finish the "I am" or "I am the same." Wrong thing.

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1975, Perth:

Amogha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, many times when I am seeing professors or students also, they seem to think that traditional Hinduism or whatever they think it is, they say that the Māyāvādī philosophy, or monist, they think this is traditional, and..., because there's so many translations of the Bhagavad-gītā and the Upaniṣads they've read, and they're all impersonal. So I was wondering what is the best way to convince them that actually, that is not actually the original tradition of understanding?

Prabhupāda: How they are becoming foolish, that they are reading Bhagavad-gītā and they are accepting original tradition of the Māyāvāda? In the original tradition of Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, Kṛṣṇa said, ahaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān: "I said. I am person." How these rascals are accepting imperson? Why do they read Bhagavad-gītā? If they have got different theory, let them differently... They are cheating. Bhagavad-gītā is popular.

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: But the professors aren't doing this. They want to read the Bhagavad-gītā, so they're accepting these Māyāvādī philosophers' interpretations. We're speaking of the professors, not of the ones writing Bhagavad-gītā interpretations.

Prabhupāda: So why Māyāvāda... Interpretation is required when you cannot understand, but when the things are understood very clearly... Just like we had been in Kurukṣetra. That place is there for millions and millions of years. And why one should interpret, "Kurukṣetra means this body"? Why should we accept this meaning? Kurukṣetra is already there.

Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History -- May 20, 1975, Melbourne:

Dr. Copeland: Does that mean you go back to Śaṅkarācārya?

Prabhupāda: No. Śaṅkarācārya is also not authority because he does not follow the ācāryas. Of course, Māyāvāda philosophy was there always, but that was never taken very seriously. Vyāsadeva is the authority. So Vyāsadeva is not Māyāvādī. He is Vaiṣṇava. We belong to Vyāsadeva's sampradāya, Brahma-sampradāya. Therefore we worship our spiritual master as Vyāsadeva's representative, vyāsa-pūjā.

Morning Walks -- June 18-19, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are thinking, "Again attraction like this? So make it zero, no attraction. Become zero." So their philosophy is zero philosophy. That is also no information of the spiritual world, Buddha philosophy and Māyāvāda philosophy, śūnyavādī, nirviśeṣa, without varieties or zero. Without varieties means zero. So two philosophers. But therefore they invent: "Anything is all right." They invent. After all, they want zeroism. (break) ...pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. (break) ...one increases the attraction for Kṛṣṇa, they will never be happy. (break) ...simply changing attraction on the material platform under different names.

Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:

Yadubara: It's according to the qualification also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Your position is very minute. So you can desire up to that limit, not that you can desire "I become complete, universal." That is the defect of the Māyāvāda. "Because I am equal... So 'ham. Because I am qualitatively one, therefore I am one in every respect." A drop of ocean water, if he desires, "I become ocean," that is not possible. But a drop of ocean water contains the same ingredients as the big Pacific Ocean. So in your quantitative proportion, if you desire, that is your perfection.

Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: How is that? You can see the universe; that does not mean that you can become universe. You can see the sky; that does not mean you become as big as sky. (break) ...small, minute shining sparks, minute combination. So they are also shining, but that does not mean they can become as good, as big, as the sun. (break) ...the defect of the Māyāvāda philosophy. They think of themselves too much. Therefore they remain here, always in māyā. (break) ...abuddhayaḥ, means the intelligence is not purified. They are called aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ or viśuddha (SB 10.2.32), "without purification of knowledge." (break) ...kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmād-aṅghrayaḥ. They fall down.

Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:

Harikeśa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what's the difference between a Brahmavādī and a Māyāvādī?

Prabhupāda: That you already questioned. We answered.

Harikeśa: I did?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...vādī means those who are aspiring to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence.

Harikeśa: And Māyāvādīs, they do not attain that impersonal realization?

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādīs remain fools forever.

Harikeśa: They never leave this material platform.

Prabhupāda: They do not know. They have no knowledge. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32), always impure. Otherwise how they are thinking, so 'ham: "I am same. I am God. I am moving the sun, I am..." Such rascals, they remain always in ignorance. (break) ...no sense that "If I am the same, then why I have fallen down in this māyā?" They say, "It is my līlā. I have become dog. So it is my līlā. I have become hog. It is my līlā." (laughs) This is their philosophy. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Māyāvāda. They are fools, mūḍha. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Māyāvādī means māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: "Their knowledge has been taken away by māyā." Fools.

Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Either you call them fool or call them lowest of the mankind or the most sinful, whatever way you can call, they are like that. All good qualifications. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned, māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa: (CC Madhya 6.169) "If you hear from Māyāvādī, then your spiritual life is finished." It's so dangerous.

Harikeśa: The Brahmavādīs have some possibility of advancement?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Harikeśa: What is that thing that enables them to advance?

Prabhupāda: That you will know later on. First of all try to understand this. Don't try to understand everything in a moment. That is foolishness.

Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:

Brahmānanda: Perhaps only in India will you find people in...

Prabhupāda: Yes, some. That is also deteriorating. (break) The sattva-guṇa... the Māyāvādī, they are also supposed to be in sattva-guṇa, but mixed with rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Therefore not pure.

Devotee (2): You were saying that when one is in the mode of goodness, that he is on the mental platform?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (2): Does that mean that he's not... He's experiencing the subtle body inside of the gross body, or what does that mean exactly?

Prabhupāda: Mental platform is mixed sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, not pure. But if you keep always Kṛṣṇa in your mind, then you are purified. The mind has no other opportunity to keep anything else. Kṛṣṇa is sitting there, then guarantee. (break) ...they keep always seeing Viṣṇu form within the heart.

Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:

Devotee (2): So the same gross senses will be able to see spiritual things.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is purified. Bhakti is the purifying process. I have already said. Not that the eyes are suffering from cataract disease, "Pluck out." That is Māyāvādī philosophy.

Devotee (2): What does that mean, then, when the yogis withdraw their senses from the objects like it says like the tortoise withdraws his limbs within the shell? What does that refer to then?

Prabhupāda: Hm? What is that? I do not follow.

Morning Walk -- July 2, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Speculation means thinking, "What will happen? Maybe like this, maybe like this." That is speculation. (break) ...speculate, "Kṛṣṇa may be like this. Kṛṣṇa may be like this." That is speculation. When Kṛṣṇa appears before you, you see, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is like this." That is wanted. And if you speculate, "Kṛṣṇa may be like this," it is all nonsense. Come to the stage when Kṛṣṇa will appear before you, and you will see what is Kṛṣṇa. Be qualified to that position. Māyāvādīs, they are speculating simply, "God may be like this." Why "God may be like this?" God is factual, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So material consciousness is false.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything can be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That is our preaching. That is truth. There is a nice car. Why shall I condemn it? Utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. Then it is truth. And the Māyāvādī philosophers, they will say, "It is untruth. Give it up." No. When you have produced something by your good intelligence, it is truth, but when you use it for other purpose than Kṛṣṇa, then it is false. (break) ...Deity nicely decorated, if I say, "It is all false," is that very good sense? They have created such a nice thing. No, the purpose for which you have created or utilized, that is false. So we want to change the consciousness. We don't condemn the thing.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: The word is used, nitya-yukta. Nitya-yukta means perpetually. If a devotee is to merge into the existence of the Lord then why this word is used, nitya-yukta. Upāsana. Not only nitya-yukta, upāsana. Upāsana means "you worship Me." As soon as the word is "he worships" that means the worshipable and the mode of worship and the worshiper must be there. That is indicated, nitya-yukta, perpetual. But the Māyāvādīs or these impersonalists, they think that it is temporary. I am devotee temporarily. As soon as I become perfect I become one.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Unless He is eternally there, then how the devotee will eternally, nitya-yukta upāsana, whom to worship? Nitya-yukta upāsana. Unless Puruṣottama is everlasting Puruṣottama then where is the question of worship everlasting? So the Māyāvādīs, they do not understand.

Prof. Hopkins: Well, would you... Do you equate then the impersonalists and the Māyāvādīs? Are they the same?

Prabhupāda: Almost the same.

Prof. Hopkins: At some point I guess they would have to be almost.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Prof. Hopkins: At some point I suppose they would almost have to be because to be an impersonalist you would have to deny the ultimate reality of phenomenon, which would make you a Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: They accept this form of God as māyā. Therefore we call them Māyāvādī.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī philosophy is defective. They say if everything is God then where is the Lord's separate existence. That is their defect. That is materialist theory. If you take a big paper and make it into small pieces and throw it away, then the big paper is lost. (laughs) The Māyāvādī thinks like that, that if everything is Brahman, Brahman is distributed, then where is..., why you call the Supreme Lord? They think that Brahman being distributed, He is finished. This is Māyāvādī. He does not know the potency of God. And that is stated in Upaniṣad. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prof. Hopkins: The gopīs in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is greater than happiness. And the Māyāvādī, karmī, jñānī, they cannot understand. They will say, "Your gopīs are also crying for Kṛṣṇa, for want of Kṛṣṇa." But they do not know that this want is different.

Prof. Hopkins: So you have been extremely generous with your time and your wisdom.

Prabhupāda: I enjoy(?) that. And that is what the whole human society (indistinct).

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prof. Hopkins: What is your view of Śrī Aurobindo? (loud laughter) Or should I have left well enough alone? He is not an impersonalist, he's not a Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: He says that above the Māyāvāda philosophy there is something else, super. That is bhakti. (indistinct) ...bhakti, but he could not understand because he did not take any education from realized person. He wanted to realize himself. That is his defect.

Morning Walk -- July 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Jayādvaita: Now, in the modern days, they take it the other way, that "Everything is God, so I can do anything."

Prabhupāda: But you are not God. You are rascal. (laughter) That is Māyāvāda theory, that "Because God is everything, therefore I am God." That is Māyāvāda. Just like Vivekananda said, "Why you are finding out here and there God? Here is God, so many, on this street." That is his theory.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1975, New Orleans:

Prabhupāda: Just see Kṛṣṇa's intelligence. So Kṛṣṇa has made the varieties. Why should you disturb? Let the variety be united, just like these varieties are united, and it looks nice, and if you eat that will be nice. Why you want to stop the variety? That is Māyāvādī. Equality does not mean to stop variety. All the varieties combine together for the same purpose. That is required. Is it not? One must know how to put the variety to look very (indistinct). If all the vases have only rose flowers it would not have been so beautiful. Rose is costly, but the leaves are not costly. But the leaves and the rose fit together, it becomes very good variety. That art is required, how to keep varieties together for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and look very beautiful.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1975, Bombay:

Lalitā: Fear.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They understood that "This man does not show any magic, and he is playing wonderful thing." That, every gentleman, every man, can understand. When I was at Kumbha-melā all these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they were receiving me like anything because they understand that they could not do anything. How they can do? Kṛṣṇa śakti vinā nahe nāma pracāra. One must receive strength from the superior; then it is possible. It is not a bogus thing, that anyone can do it. Kṛṣṇa śakti... It is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Morning Walk -- August 27, 1975, Vrndavana:

Indian man: Dakkha. (?)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Dakkha ta. (Hindi) From there you have to take it. Sadhana. On the bottle it is written there. (Hindi exchange with someone) They will never take seriously your Māyāvāda philosophy. (Hindi) Kṛṣṇa aparādhī. They are offender to Kṛṣṇa, all these Māyāvādīs. And in Vṛndāvana this Māyāvādī philosophy has become very strong. Even the so-called Vaiṣṇavas, they are also... (Hindi) Buddhist, they say that there is no God.

Morning Walk -- August 27, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, they deny. Therefore we call them atheist. But these Māyāvādī, they take the shelter of Vedas and they preach the same philosophy. "Yes, brahman-nirakara." (Hindi) ...don't believe in God... (Hindi) For the time being, Śaṅkarācārya might have said something like that to turn the Buddhists again to Vedas, but that is temporary. But they have taken it all true. (Hindi) ...eighty-five years they are working. They have no position.

Morning Walk -- August 27, 1975, Vrndavana:

Akṣayānanda: ...people in India, Prabhupāda, are still pure vegetarians, but almost all of their children eat eggs, and try to smoke cigarettes, and they don't stop them because they don't have any philosophy because of the Māyāvādī philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda: Almost 90% of all the people we preach to, they are all influenced by Māyāvādī philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I was talking.

Morning Walk -- August 29, 1975, Vrndavana:

Dhanañjaya: They also go to London.

Prabhupāda: No, not London. In London the kathā vāca, they go, Rāmāyaṇa of Tulsi das.

Akṣayānanda: Tulsi das teaching bona fide, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: He is not pure Vaiṣṇava. He has got Māyāvādī touch.

Brahmānanda: (break) ...Swami from Bombay, his program is to go all around the world and to install the Vedas in Sanskrit.

Prabhupāda: That he tried, and he failed.

Morning Walk -- August 29, 1975, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He's a Māyāvādī, but he seems to have a lot of followers amongst the Indians.

Brahmānanda: Damodar Chanrai follows him.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Damodar?

Brahmānanda: Damodar Chanrai from Nigeria.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He was in Nigeria recently.

Brahmānanda: He follows him.

Passerby: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Morning Walk -- September 9, 1975, Vrndavana:

Indian man (1): Dvabhyanaṁ pathanaṁ pathī.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Dvabhyaṁ patanam. (Hindi) ...instruction... (Hindi) Either you speak in Bengali or in Sanskrit. (break) Then that is an asset. One day they will come to help us. It is called ajñāta-sukṛtī, devotional advancement without knowledge. Even... (break) ...have appreciated. In Hyderabad, these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs were challenged by the people, that "Bhaktivedanta Swami has gone to foreign countries, and he established so many Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. What did you do? If you say that you disagree with Bhaktivedanta Swami—you worship demigods—so how many demigods' temple you have established?" They challenge like that. "If you say that you are worshiper of Lord Śiva, why don't you go and establish a Śiva temple? You are sitting idly here."

Morning Walk -- September 9, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They have been forced to forget Hare Kṛṣṇa by the so-called rascal leaders. Otherwise India is meant for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the whole India. (break) ...scandalous these Māyāvādīs and next the politicians, killing the spirit of India. These Māyāvādīs teaching "Why you are after God? You are God." That's all. And he says, "Yes, I am God. Why shall I worship God?" This is the... And becoming God, when they do not get any relish of becoming God, then the politician says, "It is all useless. Come to the political field. Take daridra-nārāyaṇa-seva. That's all, finished." The Māyāvādī creates the field of atheism, and later on, the politician make them perfect atheist.

Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Although Arjuna is... Birth after birth, he is friend of Kṛṣṇa, nitya-siddha. Still, he forgets, what to speak of others. Bahūni me janmāni tava cārjuna. That means, "We are friends always. So you also appear; I also appear. But the difference is you forget; I don't forget. That is difference between you and Me. You also don't forget. That is for limited time. But the consciousness is the same. Only difference is that My consciousness is unlimited; your consciousness is limited. That is difference." This understanding is ahaṁ brahmāsmi. My consciousness and Kṛṣṇa's consciousness, that is fact. But Kṛṣṇa's consciousness is everywhere; my consciousness is within myself. That's all. The Māyāvādī interprets, yena sarvam idaṁ tataḥ: "One who is expanded everywhere, pervaded." But I am not pervading everywhere.

Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Dhṛṣṭaketu: So the Māyāvādīs' philosophy is actually the supreme illusion.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden. Māyāvādī-bhāṣya sunile haya sarva nasa (CC Madhya 6.169). One is finished if he follows the Māyāvāda philosophy. He is doomed. He will never be able to accept the real philosophy. He will be absorbed in that false philosophy. This is Māyāvādī's position. Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhī. They are aparādhī, offender. Therefore they shall remain perpetually in ignorance and think himself, "I am God." This is Māyāvādī's position. Vivekānanda preached openly that "Why you are thinking that you are sinful? You are God." He preached like that.

Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa: This Māyāvādī philosophy, is this...?

Prabhupāda: They are atheist. They are first-class atheist, more than the Buddhist. Veda na maniya bauddha haila nāstika. The Buddhists, they did not accept Vedic authorities; therefore they are considered as nāstika. But vedāśraya nāstikya vada. These rascals, they accept Vedas and preaches atheism. So they are more dangerous than the Buddhists. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's version. (aside) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Bauddha ke adhika: "They are more dangerous than the Buddhists." The Buddhists, although they are supposed to be atheists, they worship the Deity Lord Buddha. But they say it is māyā. And more advanced than these atheists.

Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: The Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: More... Not advanced. More degraded. These atheists, they have been taught to worship the form of Lord Buddha, and Buddha is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, so one day they will be delivered. But these rascals will never be delivered.

Pṛthu-putra: I read in one of your books so many names about different groups of these Māyāvādī philosophers. Are they still existing today and active?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyone who thinks godlessness, he is Māyāvādī, that's all. Anyone. All these impersonalists, they are all Māyāvādīs. And mostly they are now impersonalists.

Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We have no eyes to see. We see through Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa sees, we see. This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. We are not perfect. Our position is that we are not perfect. But we are perfect so long we follow Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Just like I am blind man. I am not perfect. But if you have got eyes, if you take me I follow you. Then I am perfect. Kṛṣṇa assures that "You surrender to Me and I will make you free from all dangers," and we accept Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Our method is very easy. The child is walking, unable to walk, falling down. The parents say, father says, "My dear child, just catch my hand." Then he's safe. These Māyāvādīs, they go against the verdict of God. God says that "The living entities are My part and parcel," and they say, "I am God." So that is their foolishness. Part and parcel... Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivaṁso jīva-bhutaḥ (BG 15.7). Otherwise why God says, "Surrender unto Me," if you are equal with Him? Why God is asking, "Surrender unto Me"? You are not equal. You are rascal. You are claiming that "I am equal." Otherwise there is no question of surrender.

Morning Walk -- September 15, 1975, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: They say it is blasphemy.

Prabhupāda: No. Yes, we also say. Although everything is expansion of the energy of Kṛṣṇa, not that everything is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava philosophy takes everything as expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parāsya brāhmaṇa śaktiḥ. (Aside:) Jaya. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Everything is expansion of the energy of the Supreme Brahman. Kṛṣṇa confirms it, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is no existence. But that does not mean anything existentional is Kṛṣṇa. That is Māyāvāda philosophy.

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: He takes the body to fulfill His mission.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the way. That is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. As soon as the Māyāvādī thinks that Kṛṣṇa also accepts a material body... Therefore they are called Māyāvādī. They are called Māyāvādī because they think Kṛṣṇa's body is also māyā. Therefore they are known as Māyāvādīs.

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: They don't understand what is divya-vigraha.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They understand slightly sac-cid-ānanda, but they cannot think of that sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Śāstra says īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That they cannot understand, being less intelligent. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained, they cannot understand this. Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇa aparādhī.

Dr. Patel: They are aparādhīs of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They, the Māyāvādīs, they are offender to Kṛṣṇa; therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). In other places it is said, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Their intelligence is still unclean.

Morning Walk -- October 3, 1975, Mauritius:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Is this desire for material happiness the cause of material attachment?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. When they forget to serve Kṛṣṇa and wants to enjoy this material world... Don't you see that these Māyāvādī philosophers are trying for liberation, and still, they are expecting to become God. That is another desire. Daridra-nārāyaṇa. The high ambition, to become God or equal to God, that is going on, struggle for existence.

Morning Walk -- October 3, 1975, Mauritius:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What about these rascals like Sai Baba? They use Kṛṣṇa's philosophy, and then they twist it in such a way that it becomes Māyāvāda.

Prabhupāda: No, no. He's a cheater. People want to be cheated. They come to sādhu for some material benefit. Don't you see that people are so much anxious to touch the feet of a sādhu? What is the reason? Reason is that if he gets some favor of the sādhu, "Then I shall be happy materially." That's all. They have no idea, becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa. Āśīrvāda (Hindi).

Morning Walk -- October 6, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: You rascal. Anything... Anything one. So if I think of hell, will that do?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Well, the Māyāvādī says, "Anything is as good as anything else."

Prabhupāda: Yes. How rascal they are. Anything else... This is Ramakrishna Mission's. They are rascals. These rascals, they do not know anything, and still, they have made a missionary activity.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I have read one Māyāvādī. He says that it's as good to meditate on your wife as it is to meditate on Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Morning Walk -- October 6, 1975, Durban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They have gone against all the Vedic principles.

Prabhupāda: Remain at home; think of your wife. Everyone is doing that. Then why do you take sannyāsa and cheat others? Māyāvādam asac-chāstram. Asat, it is very abominable philosophy. (break)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: ...is about twenty miles up this coast.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The house that I was telling you about, the other house, is twenty miles up this coast.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) ...only on Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise all these Māyāvādīs would have disturbed us. They got... This man says this, this man says this... We kick out all these things. Only what Kṛṣṇa says, that's all. Asac-chāstram pracchannaṁ bauddham ucyate. You can take.

Room Conversation with Professor Olivier -- October 10, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī theory of oneness of the spirit soul cannot be entertained on the ground that spirit soul cannot be cut into pieces as a fragmental portion. Such cutting into different individual souls would make the supreme cleavable or changeable, against the principle of the Supreme Soul being unchangeable. As confirmed in the Gītā, the fragmental portions of the Supreme exist eternally, sanātana, and are called kṣara; that is, they have a tendency to fall down into material nature. These fragmental portions are eternally so, and even after liberation, the individual soul remains the same—fragmental. But once liberated, he lives an eternal life in bliss and knowledge with the Personality of Godhead.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1975, Johannesburg:

Harikeśa: So if you fix one thing, another thing will just go bad?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You cannot fix anything. You can simply think that "I am now fixed up." That is not possible. Even if you fix up one type of suffering, another type of suffering will come. So suffering must be there. The body means suffering. One should understand this, that asann api kleṣada asa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). Na sādhu manye yato ātmano 'yam asannapi kleṣada asa dehaḥ. You are trying to adjust things, threefold miserable condition, but you should understand that as soon as you get this material body, it will be suffering only. Therefore whole Vedic civilization is a culture how to stop this material body. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are also trying. The Buddhists, they are also trying. But they are thinking that "There is no soul. Finish this body." This is Buddhist theory. But they know that this is suffering. Similarly, the Māyāvādī, they also know this body is suffering, so they want to come out of the body and merge into the existence of God. The senses are already there, either Buddhist or Māyāvādī. And Vaiṣṇava philosophy is "Not only come out of this miserable condition of life, but enter into Kṛṣṇa's family and live peacefully." But so far the body is bad, it is accepted by all philosophies. Any kind of Indian philosophy, they will accept that body is bad.

Morning Walk -- October 26, 1975, Mauritius:

Brahmānanda: Well, they say, "Jehovah" and "Yaweḥ."

Prabhupāda: Not fixed up. The Māyāvāda... If you have no fixed name of God, then why don't you chant Kṛṣṇa? What is the harm? But envious. Therefore paramo nirmatśaraṇaṁ (SB 1.1.2). One who has completely eradicated from the envious conception of life, they can take to this way. (Break) ...climate of this island is good.

Morning Walk -- November 4, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If you are in Brahman stage, then you make further progress to understand Paramātmā. Then you must make further progress to understand the Supreme Person, God. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti. So unless you come to the stage of understanding Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no safety. Then he may fall down at any moment. Therefore we see so, so many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, yogīs. They fall down. They fall down. Big, big sannyāsī, they, after studying so much... The Karpatraji, now he is fall down to politics. Vivekananda, he fell down to hospital. That is fall down. You say, brahma satya jagan mithya: "The world is false." Why you come down to false again? That means you did not get any substance in your so-called Brahman knowledge.

Morning Walk -- November 11, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvādī interpretation.

Indian man (2): No, that is what I...

Prabhupāda: Why should you interpret? Gopīs prayed Kṛṣṇa and all the Katyāyanī devīs that "Let Kṛṣṇa become our husband." So Kṛṣṇa fulfilled their desire because a woman can become naked only before husband. That is the purport, no other interpretation. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when that so many gopīs called, "So you wanted Me as your husband? All right, I become your husband." That's all. Because for a woman there is no shame before husband. So this was acceptance of husband. And so far renouncing everything, they had already done that. Therefore we take everything, śāstra, as it is, no interpretation. Then, simply by making oneself naked, he would have gone to Vṛndāvana. They interpret. These Māyāvādīs, they interpret in so many ways just to make the statement of Bhāgavata story. This is their real purpose. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (Hindi) Without being liberated, can anyone expect to become wife of Kṛṣṇa? They were already liberated. These interpretation are there only to minimize the value of Kṛṣṇa and the value of gopīs. Māyāvāda bhāṣya sunile haya sarva nāśa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned, "If you hear the comments by the Māyāvādīs, then you are finished."

Morning Walk -- November 13, 1975, Bombay:

Yaśomatīnandana: (break) ...all the Māyāvādīs, transcendentalists, they also don't believe in śāstras.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yaśomatīnandana: This one man, he is a great devotee of one so-called swāmī, and he was quoting Bhagavad-gītā inside and out. And then...

Prabhupāda: He doesn't believe in.

Morning Walk -- November 13, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: The stool, so long it is in your body, it is you, a part of you, because we are all, majority of us are body conscious. There are very few people like you, who are so conscious.

Prabhupāda: That is Māyāvāda philosophy.

Dr. Patel: We are in the process of making soul-consciousness.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that is Māyāvāda philosophy.

Dr. Patel: But still every moment we are body conscious.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's it. But that is Māyāvāda philosophy, "Everything one. Everything one."

Dr. Patel: Māyāvāda or no vāda, this is a fact, that we are body conscious. We look to the facts, sir, we scientists.

Brahmānanda: Rāmakrishna ate stool because he said, "Stool and prasādam are one."

Prabhupāda: Hm? He ate stool?

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Where does he say so?

Brahmānanda: His disciple... One of his disciples told us.

Dr. Patel: Disciple has said, but...

Brahmānanda: As an experiment to show that it was all one, he said that he ate stool.

Prabhupāda: No, of course, I do not know about stool, but he wanted to eat beef.

Morning Walk -- November 17, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This service to Kṛṣṇa has disappeared on account of this māyāvāda philosophy.

Dr. Patel: You think so.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: And māyāvāda philosophy was necessary to dislodge the Buddhist, degenerated Buddhism.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. They are practically the same. Buddhists say that everything is zero ultimately. And the Māyāvādīs say...

Dr. Patel: Māyāvādīs, sir, have been proved that if everything is zero, who sees the zero? Who sees the zero?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Māyāvādī says zero, just like the sky. The sky is there, but it is zero. You cannot see the planet.

Morning Walk -- November 17, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Apahṛta-jñāna. Apahṛta-jñāna.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Apahṛta-jñāna Māyāvādīs, they have spoiled the whole thing.

Dr. Patel: Do you think, in your opinion, māyāvāda was a necessity to undo all the bad effect of the degenerated Buddhism? This followed some three, four or seven hundred years of after Gautama Buddha.

Prabhupāda: No, it... It might be necessity for the time being. Buddhism also was a necessity for the time being. They are not for all. Emergency. Just like it is going on, "emergency." It is not necessity, but sometimes we have to take emergency. Otherwise how Vaiṣṇavas are worshiping Lord Buddha? Eh? Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jatam: "You are always deriding the Vedic principles," śruti-jatam. Sadaya-hṛdaya-darśita-paśu-ghāṭam. This is emergency, that "You have become so much compassionate upon the poor animals because they are unnecessarily being killed."

Morning Walk -- November 18, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: One who has not understood Kṛṣṇa, they are all māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. He may be Vaiśeṣika, kanaḍa, paramānuvada, māyāvāda. There are so... I know these.

Dr. Patel: Māyāvāda and these are all...

Prabhupāda: They different, different philosophies.

Dr. Patel: Vaiśeṣika is one of the six sciences, just like...

Prabhupāda: No, māyāvāda is also one of them.

Dr. Patel: Māyāvāda does not belong to one of the six sciences, do they?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kanaḍa, Gautama, Astavakra, then nāstika Kapila. There are so many.

Morning Walk -- November 20, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Amongst the Vaiṣṇavas, he was the greatest ācārya, Rāmānujācārya. And to kill the Māyāvādīs, he was the ablest person, Rāmānujācārya. Still in South India, the Māyāvādīs and the Rāmānujas, they have talks, and the Māyāvādīs are defeated always.

Morning Walk -- November 21, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then we reject them. At once we reject it. Yes. These Māyāvādīs, they know that if they accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then their Māyāvādī philosophy is finished.

Mahāṁsa: And those of the Vivekananda or Ramakrishna āśrama, there is only one senior devotee that they have now, he is the president of the Hyderabad branch. His name is Ranganath.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Ranganath, yes.

Morning Walk -- December 3, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Śūnyavādī. Śūnyavādī. That is śūnyavādī. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī. Śūnyavādī, they say, "There is no God, and there is nothing, fact. Everything is combination of some illusory things." This is śūnyavādī. And the Māyāvādī, they say, "Yes, there is God, but He has no form." Therefore we have to kill both of them. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavād-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. The whole Western world are filled up with these śūnyavādi and impersonalists. India is also nowadays, but there are, still there are devotees in the ācārya-sampradāya. They are fighting against śunyavāda and nirviśeṣa.

Morning Walk -- December 4, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then how you can? These rascals, these Māyāvādīs, they play rāsa-līlā. (break) ...ācarati śreṣṭhas means that śreṣṭha is ordinary person, but not Bhagavān. Bhagavān can act any way. And still, Bhagavān has never instructed you that "You imitate Me in raising the Govardhana Hill." Has He said like that, that "You also raise the Govardhana Hill like Me"? (break) ...orders man-manā bhava mad-bhakto ṁad-yājī mām. That is for you. Always think of Him. Always become His devotee. Worship Him. Offer your obeisances. That's all. That is for you. Yasodamayi was asking Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, can you bring the slipper of Your father?" He could not. He was a small child. Still, with great difficulty He could raise that. But the person who can raise the Govardhana Hill, He was feeling difficulty to raise the slipper? Why? If at that time He becomes like Govardhana, Giridhārī, then the līlā between father and son will be damaged. He plays just like a child. Although He can raise even in that age, to raise the hill. One should understand Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana:

Devotee (2): One Māyāvād sannyāsī, he wrote a book, "Be Your Own Guru," and he said you can...

Prabhupāda: So why do you write book?

Devotee (2): Yes, he is being guru. He is teaching them to do without a guru.

Prabhupāda: Let everyone become his guru. Why you write books?

Indian man: ...one book that one should not write a book without the permission of a spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You'll find in today's tape that Prahlāda Mahārāja recommending, that "Spiritual life begins by guru-śuśruṣaḥ, by serving guru." (break) ...Gosvāmi said, ādau gurvāśrayam: "The first beginning is to take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master." Sad-dharma-pracchāt: "Then inquire from him about the spiritual path." Sādhu-mārgānugamanam: "Follow the previous ācāryas." These are the steps. Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna said, śiṣyas te 'ha śādhi mām: "Now I become Your disciple. Teach me." And these rascals are more than Arjuna—"There is no need of guru." Huh? He says, śiṣyas te 'ham (BG 2.7). Why? He was already friend. Why he should submit himself as disciple? That is the beginning of spiritual life.

Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana:

Indian man: Oh, yes. In Mauritius there are many cults. So they invited us, I went to two, three. So they asked me that "We are coming many temple. You people, why not you come?" I said, "Well, whenever you invite us, we are ready to come, but you accept our philosophy." So they said, "How we can accept your philosophy? Prabhupāda, he, wherever, he say that all the other are Māyāvādī. All other are rascal." (laughter) "Well, Kṛṣṇa has said that. Prabhupāda is not doing that. Kṛṣṇa said who don't accept Him, he is mūḍha; he is rascal. So Prabhupāda is giving as it is, whatever Kṛṣṇa has said." Oh, they were...

Prabhupāda: No... (break) Kṛṣṇa said, "The rascals do not surrender to Me." So as soon as we see somebody not Kṛṣṇa conscious, we call him rascal. So what is the wrong there?

Indian man: It is not wrong.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says, na mā duṣkṛtino mūḍhā prapadyante narādhamāḥ. So we find out rascals, if he is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. So what is our fault? Kṛṣṇa says this is the test to find out who is a rascal. And who is rascal? Who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a rascal. So if you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, you are a rascal. We have to see through the śāstra characteristic of a rascal, that he is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. We may be fool, but we take lesson from Bhagavad-gītā. That's all. And from the lesson we understand you are rascal number one." That's all.

Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: ...kaunteya mukta-saṅga samācara.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is wanted. The māyāvādī philosophers, they are taking because the senses are creating so much trouble, material existence, finish this-śūnyavādi. But that will not solve the problem. Problem will be solved that you keep your eyes. You don't require to finish it, but cure it. Just like you medical man. If one is blind out of cataract, you don't say that you pluck it, the eye, and throw it. No. "Please cure it and you'll be able to see." This is the difference between māyāvādī philosopher and Vaiṣṇava philosopher. They want to pluck it out, make it zero, śūnyavāda.

Conversation on Roof -- December 26, 1975, Sanand:

Harikeśa: So actually everything.... All the arguments they bring up is simply the material thesis. There is no antithesis 'cause.... Just like hot and cold. Hot is...

Prabhupāda: No. They're seeking—the same example—the enjoyable thing, on the platform of shell of the coconut, fibers of the coconut. They do not know that within the shell, within the fiber, there is coconut. That they do not know. You said two sides. But they do not know the other side. They only know the one side, the body. There will be synthesis when there are two. But they have no two. They simply one subject matter, the body, and that is useless struggle. It is just like Māyāvādīs. Neti neti: "Not this, not this. Not this, not this." Therefore they advocate revolution, that something is going on for some days; again revolution. That means "Not this." Neti neti. The experiment says.... Experiment. Everyone is doing that. They are trying to derive happiness through some system or idea of adjustment, but it becomes spoiled and useless after some time. Therefore they say another revolution required.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 3, 1976, Nellore:

Keśavalāl Trivedi: Ahaṁ brahmāsmi I was not able to explain till I heard Swamijī on the first day at Rajeswara in Mandapur.(?) That fits in. Otherwise Māyāvādīns, "All right, but Śaṅkarācārya saying, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Why you say no?" Because so many persons ask me question. And when I was confronted, I was not able to say that. But the way the mukti was defined, mukti, yes, and in the lecture, and īṣa, sarveśa, all those things—ātmā, Paramātmā, aṁśa, Paramāṁśa—there I found that it can be explained. Because so many persons, they ask in public meeting like Lions Club, where we take up these topics. Then we feel at our wit's end. But now I think I can explain them.

Prabhupāda: So that day my explanation was all right?

Keśavalāl Trivedi: Yes, that is how I feel. And that is what will apply also to Acyutānanda Swami's question also, I think.

Acyutānanda: No, I'm just fencing.

Keśavalāl Trivedi: No, no, that's all.... I know.

Acyutānanda: So Durga is higher than Viṣṇu because Viṣṇu required Durga to awaken Him from the yoga-nidrā to kill Madhu and Kaitabha. So she controls Him.

Prabhupāda: Yes, if I ask my servant that "You ask me to get up at seven o'clock," that does not mean....

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Yaśodānandana: Just as we say that ignorance consists of not understanding the difference between the jīva and the Paramātmā, the Māyāvādīs say that ignorance means to understand the difference between jīva and Paramātmā.

Prabhupāda: So then they difference. They admit that there is difference, if they say like that, that "There is difference."

Yaśodānandana: But they say that oneness, that is the real knowledge.

Prabhupāda: No, no. That's all right. But why they say "different"?

Yaśodānandana: They say to see that our vision of difference, that our vision of difference, that is ignorance. When we understand the jīvātmā to be different from God, from Bhagavān, that is ignorance.

Prabhupāda: No. No.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Yaśodānandana: That your vision of seeing God...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we admit that, that when we see that "I am separate from..." Then the same example: If the finger thinks that it is separate from the body, that is ignorance, because the finger is required by the body to serve the body. So if he thinks, "No, I'll not serve you because I am different," that is ignorance. That is ignorance. That is going on. These Māyāvādīs, they refuse to serve God. That is ignorance. If they are part and parcel of God or one with God, how you can refuse to serve? That is ignorant. Here the finger is my part and parcel of the body. It cannot refuse to serve. I say; immediately it comes. So if the finger thinks that "I am one. Why shall I serve the whole body?" that is ignorance.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1976, Madras:

Acyutānanda: Big Māyāvādī. And later on he had a very nice program for us. But the first day we visited—as I said, that he plays with snakes—so as we were leaving I said to Yaśodānandana Mahārāja, "I didn't see any snakes." He says, "Didn't you see that man on the āsana? (Prabhupāda laughs) That big one?"

Prabhupāda: That he said.

Yaśodānandana: That was just between ourselves.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Acyutānanda: Then he had a program with us, and he was chanting. He was a very nice man.

Yaśodānandana: He came and danced with us also.

Acyutānanda: And all the Śaivite brāhmaṇas doing the yajña, they came and danced with us like ghosts, like madmen.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, that is not very much liked by others. What do you think, huh? When you say that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, it is not very much liked by others.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1976, Madras:

Indian man (1): Everyone likes.

Prabhupāda: Everyone likes?

Yaśodānandana: Except the Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: There are many Māyāvādīs.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But we should never think that smṛti is an interpretation.

Prabhupāda: No, no. It is not inter... It is explanation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like sometimes the smārtas, they argue that if you quote smṛti, it is not as good as śruti.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But smṛti... Just like the Māyāvādīs. They do not accept because their interpretation of Veda is different.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. So they say that smṛti is an interpretation.

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't accept Bhagavad-gītā, many of them.

Prabhupāda: No.

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Ah. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, who knows Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. Otherwise all rascals. Why should you go to a rascal? Immediately you can understand he is guru who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He is guru. Others? They are all rascals. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Who has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is under these four groups: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. They may talk of so much knowledge, but they are rascal fools because they have not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. All the Māyāvādīs, they are all rascals. They have not surrendered. This is the test. Why don't you take lesson from Bhagavad-gītā? He is guru. One who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, one is servant of Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. That is the test. If you want to select a guru, you have to see "Whether this person is fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa?" Then he is guru. Huh? What is the definition of guru given by...? Why don't you read all these things? Why you remain fools and rascals? Why...? We are following Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So the angels, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, they are offering their obeisances, and these rascals are claiming, "I am God." How great rascals they are. Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Śiva-viriñci-nutam. Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, they are offering their respects, and these things are: "I am equal with God." This Māyāvāda philosophy. Mūḍhas.

Morning Walk -- February 10, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Not all of them were real Vaiṣṇava. That was my discrimination from the beginning of my life. I never liked these bogus swamis and yogis. I never liked. But my father had no discrimination. "Never mind whatever he is. He is a saintly person. Receive him." He was giving fortnightly... There was one Māyāvādī sannyāsī in Kālīghāṭa. So first of all the father was sannyāsī. Then his son was sannyāsī. So we had very good relationship with him. I also used to... Because father was going... So he would carry gāñjā for him—in those days gāñjā was very cheap—so much gāñjā and so much butter. Whenever he would visit, he'd give some red cloth, gāñjā, and butter.

Morning Walk -- February 26, 1976, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: (break) ...sense gratification that comes from renouncing like that, that's like the Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Eh?

Hari-śauri: By artificial renouncing everything, they're actually simply another form of sense gratification.

Prabhupāda: Not artificial. It is a process. We have to give up this sense gratification. Go through a process to trained up. Just like sometimes in the club there is artificial swimming. Is it not? Artificial swimming. That is not swimming. But to practice something.

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Everything is Bhagavān but appears like different to the different vision. Therefore we take everything.... kṛṣṇa-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Everything..., in everything there is Kṛṣṇa's relationship. So there is no question of giving it up. Why shall I give it up? This is Kṛṣṇa's property. Why shall I give it up, prāpañcikatayā buddhyā, by mistaking it as material? Kṛṣṇa-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. So these Māyāvādīs, they say the brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This material world is false, and Brahman is reality." And we don't say that. Everything is reality because it comes from reality. When it is not used for Kṛṣṇa, that is unreality. It is not properly being used. Otherwise there is no such thing as unreality, because it is coming from reality. So why shall I give it up, tyāga? Neither tyāga, neither bhoga. Everything utilize for Kṛṣṇa. This is our way. Any question on this regard? I saw your wife also. She is here.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe... (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is there, orders māyā, "He wants to enjoy life. Give him this body." "Come on, here is a hog's body, eat nicely, stool. Come on." He did not like to eat prasādam. He wanted something rubbish. "All right, come here. Take this stool." These things are going automatically. The same way, as you infect some disease, immediately the disease is there. You haven't got to manufacture diseases. Because you have infected yourself with the disease germ, "Take this disease." Therefore it is warned, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), "Don't desire anything except Kṛṣṇa's service." Then you are immune. Otherwise you have to take birth. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they take the Absolute Truth void, so they have no good desires, again they come to material desires.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Lokanātha: They want to be desireless.

Prabhupāda: That is not possible.

Madhudviṣa: If the Māyāvādīs don't believe in the difference between the soul and the Supersoul, then how can they... What is their explanation of reincarnation?

Prabhupāda: They say that this is not incarnation, it is māyā. Just like the sky is covered in a pot, and as soon as the pot breaks, the sky mixes with the big sky. That's all. That is their theory.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Madhudviṣa: Because the Māyāvādīs, they also perform some austerity and tapasya.

Prabhupāda: Just to break the pot. That is their (indistinct)

Madhudviṣa: But what is the breaking of the pot?

Lokanātha: The pot doesn't refer to the body but the illusion. They want to get rid of not the body but the illusion.

Prabhupāda: No, illusion in this sense, that I am covered by the pot, it will break or I shall break, and when it is broken then there is no more pot. I become one with the sky.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. If he would have approached a devotee, he'd have known this long ago. That man must be Māyāvādī, with whom he is associating.

Pañcadraviḍa: They cannot give anything.

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī-bhāṣya sunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169), finished—his spiritual progress is finished if he associates with a Māyāvādī.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Madhudviṣa: We can also listen to the Māyāvādīs and then defeat them like that?

Prabhupāda: If you are so qualified like Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Madhudviṣa: (laughs) Otherwise we should...

Prabhupāda: Otherwise you will be captured.

Madhudviṣa: Otherwise we shouldn't listen.

Prabhupāda: No.

Jayādvaita: In America that's called giving someone enough rope to hang himself.

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Pañcadraviḍa: In South India, when we were down there, we had to do that. We listened to them first and then took their money.

Madhudviṣa: But we also should defeat them.

Pañcadraviḍa: Taking their money is defeating them.

Lokanātha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the position of vrajavāsīs, those who are living in Vṛndāvana now? What happens to them next life?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Simply by living, if they do not commit any sinful, they'll go back to home. Simply by living. Without committing any sinful activities. Always remember Kṛṣṇa, this is Kṛṣṇa's land, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. That will deliver them.

Morning Walk -- April 16, 1976, Bombay:

Indian: These Māyāvādīs reject it, that the body is not...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ, mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo. The Māyāvādī says the whole material world is false. We do not say that.

Indian (2): We say both are right, parā and aparā.

Prabhupāda: We do not say. We say this material world also the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). He claims, "It is Mine," so how you can reject it? We cannot say anything Kṛṣṇa's is false. There is some purpose. I give this example, this finger: here is sensation, and here is no sensation. But both of them belongs to my body. Matter means where there is no Kṛṣṇa sensation. That is matter. And as soon as there is Kṛṣṇa sensation, it is spirit. Our Gosvāmīs' formula is that. Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Everything has got relation with Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- April 17, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Nothing can exist.... mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. So everything is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Where is not Kṛṣṇa? But the Māyāvādī says, "Everything is Kṛṣṇa; therefore let me worship the sand." That is rascaldom. "What is the use of going to the temple? Let me worship the sand." That is rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa says clearly, therefore,

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ

jagad avyakta-mūrtinā

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

(BG 9.4)

Dr. Patel: Na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ means no more important.

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: To accept Kṛṣṇa as father means "My father is there. I have no anxiety." And if you accept Kṛṣṇa as your son, then you are full of Kṛṣṇa anxiety. This is the philosophy. And these Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand. They think that Kṛṣṇa is born of this father and mother, how He is God? But they do not know the philosophy.

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī rascal, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has condemned them, māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If you hear Māyāvādī association, then your bhakti life is finished. Don't touch them. (break) Still, they are little more than the karmīs. (break) ...this place they are dragged through this, what is called? Short grass? Through this.

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1976, Melbourne:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They can't stop, na śocati na kāṅkṣati. They have to go further.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And this is negation. Just like one man is diseased. He is also eating, he is also sleeping, but that is not healthy eating, sleeping. He has to get relief from this eating, lying down on the bed and eating by some instrument. This nonsense eating, sleeping should be stopped. And when he's healthy, he eats also, sleeps also. That is different. That is different eating, sleeping, but they do not.... He is suffering from disease. He thinks, "Again eating? Make it zero. Make it zero." This is Māyāvādī. He has no taste what is the other eating. He wants to make it zero because here the eating is so botheration, "Oh, let me commit suicide. Make it zero." So that is Buddha philosophy.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So we see sometimes that the Māyāvādīs, they have perhaps given up the affairs of this world, but still, they remain envious, inimical towards Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So, how...

Prabhupāda: What he has given up? (laughter) What he has given up? You say he has given up; what he has given up? "I have given up everything, but I remain proprietor." What is this, given up? There is not, no "given up." The contradiction's there. One who has given up, what he has given up? He has not given up his personality. Then what he has given up? In Bengali it says that rasamba sataya chaibe tyāga,(?) (indistinct) that "In the room, whatever is there, it is yours. But I lock it, I keep the key."

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: That, that is not.... Cheating! That is another cheating. (Hindi) There is the same example. "Now I am serving the master. Just as soon as the master will be somewhere, I'll take everything." That kind of servant. Servant serving the master, but the intention is that "As soon as master is away, I'll take everything." (laughter) "I'll become Nārāyaṇa. Let me serve now Nārāyaṇa, and as soon as there is the opportunity, I shall become Nārāyaṇa." They are thieves, rogues, these duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. Very faithful servant. He's planning how to usurp everything belonging to the master, and saying, "I am very faithful servant." Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "Life after life, let me serve You." That's all. Never willing to become master. That is Māyāvāda. (break) ...don't want even salvation. Therefore He says, janmani janmani, "life after life."

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:

Nalinīkaṇṭha: In the West, people are generally unfamiliar, I think, with the philosophy of Śaṅkara, yet in your books you devote so much argument to defeating Māyāvāda philosophy. I was wondering if it is within every conditioned soul's heart to be an impersonalist. Is it.... Does every conditioned soul have the propensity for impersonalism?

Prabhupāda: No, they cannot understand God; therefore it is impersonalism. It is due to their poor fund of knowledge. So most people are in poor fund of knowledge.

Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Everyone is struggling to become God. Even when one is so-called liberated, self-realized, just like the Māyāvādī philosophers, they are also writing "Self, my own self," but "I am independent." That is the material disease. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. He's always thinking that "I am independent," which he's not. He's completely under the laws of nature, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27), but he's thinking "I'm independent." That is foolishness. They'll not accept knowledge given by God; they'll manufacture knowledge. That is material disease. And that knowledge is also uncertain. One stalwart man of knowledge is speaking, "I think, I believe," and another stalwart is saying, "No, no, I think, I believe." What is the meaning of this "I think, I believe"? We say "You are all rascals. Whatever you believe, whatever you think, they are all rascaldom." That's all. This is our decision. There are many persons, they are simply saying, "I think, I believe," and we say, "You all people who are thinking independently, believing independently, you are all rascals." That's all. So far our position is concerned, we never say "I think."

Garden Conversation -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Even one is in this spiritual knowledge that "I am spirit soul," still he's trying to become master. That is Māyāvāda. They have understood that "I am not this body, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, but I am the supreme Brahman." The same disease is there—master. Therefore they are condemned, arūhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because the mentality to remain master is continuing, even they are in the Brahman, merge into the Brahman, the mastership mentality is there; therefore he falls down again. Because mastership exhibition can be done in this material world. So many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they give up, "This world is false," and they merge, so-called merge, but the mastership mentality is there. But in the void, simply spiritual light, he cannot do any mastership; therefore again falls down in this false world, and he wants to be by becoming a leader of hospital, and school, college, a Christian missionary.

Garden Conversation -- June 23, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Just like the shadow appears different from the sunshine, but actually, taking the central point of emanation, it is different manifestation. That's all. Tree—there are so many varieties. One is trunk, one is branch, one is twig, one is leaf, one is.... So the varieties are there, but the tree is one, the root. So ultimately there is no variety, only one. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. The difference is the Māyāvādīs, they abruptly say everything is one. Not everything is one. The trunk is not one with the leaf, but ultimately because the root is the cause, so there is no difference between the trunk and the leaf. This is acintya-bhedābheda philosophy, simultaneously one and different. On the whole, everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: We are inviting everyone to partake Kṛṣṇa prasādam. That does not mean that immediately all of them have become of the equal rank. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was so kind, but still there was distinction. When He was taking prasādam, personal associates, they were sitting with Him. Is it not? So this is called maryādā. Maryādā means honor. That must... Varieties must be there. Otherwise we become Māyāvādīs—everything is equal, all one. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. No varieties. There must be variety. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. And as soon as you make it varietyless, all equal, that is Māyāvāda. Just see even in this flower, this is also flower and this is also flower. Does it mean they are of the same rank? This is understanding. Together they look very beautiful, but if you take separate value, then it is valuable than this flower. That distinction must be there. If somebody says "I am accepting even the leaf in this garland," then what to speak of rose? It is like that. Kṛṣṇa says that. That does not mean leaf and rose have the same value.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says, aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), "I am the source of everything." So Brahman is also from Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā is also from Kṛṣṇa. And so other Bhagavāns—there are so many Bhagavāns also—they are from Kṛṣṇa. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa you can understand everything. And as soon as you say that you have not understood it, therefore you have not understood Kṛṣṇa. They cannot understand, just like Māyāvādīs, they do not understand Kṛṣṇa, therefore they do not understand Brahman also. And therefore they fall down, because they have not understood either Brahman or Kṛṣṇa. Patanty adhaḥ. This is stated in the śāstra. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ, because they have not understood Kṛṣṇa, even they have gone up to the Brahman, they cannot stand there; they fall down. Again they come to the material world. The Māyāvādīs, they say, brahma satyma jagan mithyā, "Brahman is truth, and this material world is false." They take sannyāsa, but after some time they fall down, again take to other businesses than Brahman in the material world. Just like our Vivekananda.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: So you cannot stop the suffering. You are unable. You are also suffering from the same disease. So don't say that jagat mithyā. If they are suffering, that's a fact. Then how do you say it is mithyā, it is false? If it is mithyā, then why you are affected by the suffering? There are so many questions. That means not realization. Contradictory. If you feel the suffering, then why you call it mithyā? It is fact. Why do you say it is mithyā? That means you have no realization. You are accepting suffering as mithyā. We say suffering is not mithyā, it is fact, but if you want to save from suffering, then you get out of this material world. We don't say that, that suffering is mithyā or this world is mithyā. We don't say that. We are offering this flower to Kṛṣṇa, not as mithyā; it is a means of service. Why shall I say it is mithyā? By offering... Kṛṣṇa says patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). By offering a little flower. How can I say this is mithyā? Māyāvādī's philosophy, it is mithyā. With mithyā we can approach the satya? By hundreds of false we can make one truth? Kṛṣṇa says that "If you offer Me a little flower," so how can I say this is mithyā? It is not mithyā. It is satya.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Gradual process, just like you are here in the sunshine. So if you are intelligent, you'll understand that the temperature in the sunshine and the temperature in the sun globe is different. So Brahman understanding is the lowest stage. Paramātmā understanding little higher. And Bhagavān understanding is complete. That is gradual. And these Māyāvādīs, they do not try to understand Kṛṣṇa. They are satisfied only with understanding Brahman. Therefore they fall down. Arūhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta (SB 10.2.32). Because there is no standing. The impersonal feature, that the sky... Go very high in the sky, you do not see anymore this planet earth, neither you see anything, you'll be mad. Then you will find out how to go back again. You cannot stay there in that condition.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If there is rock, if there is sand, then why don't you colonise there? What is their answer? If there is same sand, same rock there, then why not... (break) ...some money and can bring some sand and bluff people that you have gone to moon planet. And people are satisfied, they're paying for another excursion to the Mars. This is going on. If you have gone there, there is land. If you fly in the sky and if you get a land then you can stay there. And because you cannot stay there, you come back again. So their... The Māyāvādīs position is there, āruhya kṛcchreṇa param, they merge into the impersonal Brahman but there is no place to stay, they come down again to this material world. You may go many thousands and millions of miles in the sky but you want to stay somewhere. But if you cannot get any place to stay then again you come to this Moscow and New York.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So if he's eternal fragmental parts, how he can become one with the whole? The part is never equal to the whole. That is axiomatic truth. This is wrong conception, to become like God. The Māyāvādīs, they are trying to become God. That is impossible. They... Let them remain godly. Godly means servant of God. That will make him perfection, his life perfect. Vaiṣṇava philosophy is to remain, to act as servant of God. That is perfect. And if the servant tries to become like the master, that is artificial. Although in the spiritual world there is no difference between the master and the servant... Just like the boys, Kṛṣṇa's cowherd boy friends, they do not know Kṛṣṇa is God. They are playing with Him on equal terms. When Kṛṣṇa is defeated in the play He has to take His friend on His shoulder and he rides on the shoulder. So there is no such distinction who is God and who is not God. So that is spiritual conception.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Unless one is devotee, purified, he cannot understand that to become one with God is not the sublime idea. In Vṛndāvana one who wants to become the father or mother of God, to control God, that these Māyāvādīs cannot understand, Advaitavādīs. This is to be understood by the pure devotion, devotees. What is the benefit to become equal with God? Just become.... equal.... Other Vaiṣṇava philosophies they could not explain our relationship with God. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained the higher relationship with God. That is called vatsalya-rasa and madhurya-rasa. Especially madhurya-rasa. Anarpita carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatirṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojvala-rasāṁ sva bhakti śriyam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave information of the madhurya-rasa, that our relationship can be with Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love.

Room Conversation -- July 1, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: He is very strict. He is a stubborn enemy of Śaṅkarācārya. All the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, declare it: māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If you hear the interpretation of Māyāvādīs, then you are doomed. You have no hope for spiritual advancement. This is the statement. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Finished, your spiritual life is finished. You can write this also, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction is strictly to avoid the so-called Vedantists.

Room Conversation -- July 1, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: It is very popular amongst the Māyāvāda people. You speak also... Now the so-called Vedantists they are speaking on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, distorting. Akhoyananda, Akandananda, Karpatri(?), the rascals. Because they have no subject matter to speak, they are distorting the meaning of Bhāgavata. This boy appears to be nice, this fat boy.

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Therefore not physical. This is definition by negation. In the logic, there is a process of definition by negation. The Māyāvādīs, they define this Brahman, neti, neti, neti, neti, negation. "It is not this, it is not this." What is, that they cannot tell. They simply negate. That is a partial definition. Yes, go on.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Dr. Sukla: Māyāvādīs like Swami Vivekananda, he questions "Who was Lord Kṛṣṇa?" Was Kṛṣṇa King of Dvārakā or anybody else, he don't know even that.

Prabhupāda: He's a fool. He does not know, therefore other does not know. It is not the fact. He's a fool, he does not know.

Dr. Sukla: He does not know. He said that Gītā is karma-yoga, and writes volumes and volumes...

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is his foolishness. Gītā is completely bhakti-yoga. Sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Everything is finished. And what is karma-yoga? What is karma-yoga?

Dr. Sukla: According to these Māyāvādīs...

Prabhupāda: Not according, according to Bhagavad-gītā.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: For Kṛṣṇa, yes. So that is bhakti-yoga. Yat karoṣi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. That is bhakti. Karma-yoga means bhakti. That is the difficulty, that these Māyāvādīs, they have killed India's Vedic civilization. Now India is atheist. Very tragic position.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: We are pushing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is being appreciated. It will take some time. Because so much mischievous activities have been done by the Māyāvādīs, to counteract, it will take some time. They are simply mischievous. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has rejected them. Māyāvādī bhāṣya sunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If one takes the Māyāvādī version of the śāstras, then his spiritual life is finished. He becomes atheist. His spiritual life is finished.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Guest (3): The Māyāvādīs say that Vedānta is impersonal, and (indistinct) Vedānta...

Prabhupāda: You do not know what is Vedānta. (indistinct) In the beginning of Vedānta, athāto brahma jijñāsā. "Now try to inquire about this Supreme, (indistinct) Brahman." The next verse is janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), Brahman is there, from whom everything emanates. So now, what is that thing from which everything emanates? What is the nature of that thing? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāgavatam is the real explanation of Veda. Brahma-sūtra, (indistinct) mahasyam brahma-sūtrānāṁ vedasya parividyatam (?), this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, vedasya parividyatam, (indistinct) avyayam, brahma-sūtrasya (?) uvaca, by Vyāsadeva himself. Vyāsadeva is the writer of Vedānta-sūtra, so he's writing himself under the instruction of Nārada. So to understand Vedānta, you have to study Bhāgavatam. He's explained janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Brahman is the original source of everything.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So God is great. Now we have to analyze what is the greatness. A man is supposed to be great when he is very rich. A man is supposed to be great when he is very wise, man of knowledge, strength, reputation. So item by item, you analyze and see, you'll see Kṛṣṇa is the greatest. By reasoning. Therefore He is God. They have been analyzed. You'll find in The Nectar of Devotion, the Gosvāmīs have analyzed the characteristics of Kṛṣṇa, and they found Him the greatest. So if God is great, and He is the greatest, then He is God. How can you deny it? At least, we can see in the Bhagavad-gītā, the little knowledge given by Kṛṣṇa, it is still standing as the greatest. Five thousand years past, nobody could give such a book of knowledge throughout the whole world. The Bhagavad-gītā is studied not only by the Indians and Hindus but by all scholars of the world. Even such persons who think that there is somebody greater than Kṛṣṇa, they also read Bhagavad-gītā and they recite from the Bhagavad-gītā. Even Śaṅkarācārya, the leader of the Māyāvādīs, he says Bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adhītā.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: It is not that only a particular person or particular community can take bath. Anyone can take, and he becomes purified. There is an example, na hi harate jyotsnā candraś caṇḍāla veśmani.(?) When there is moonlight, there is no discrimination that here is a bhaṅgi's house, caṇḍāla's house, there should be no moonshine. The moonshine is open in the palace of the king or in the house of a caṇḍāla, na hi harate jyotsnā candraś caṇḍāla veśmani. So Kṛṣṇa's mercy is for everyone. It is not restricted to a certain community or class of people, no. Anyone can take advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is, practically they are doing. Therefore in India, so they say that I am killing Hindu dharma, the Māyāvādīs, that Bhaktivedanta Swami hindu-dharma ka naṣṭa. This is their...

Morning Walk -- July 9, 1976, Washington D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He wants to help us. He has many degrees. In chemistry, in pathology, in engineering. He said if we have an institute like this...

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...it would be very easy to defeat Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Because they claim that they are Vedantists.

Prabhupāda: They are nonsense.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But they have no bhakti, so we are in the line of Bhaktivedanta, so he said, that this is the way to counteract the so-called Māyāvādīs or Vedantists.

Prabhupāda: They're atheist. More than atheist. They have been described by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as more dangerous than the atheist. Vede nāmāniyā bauddha hoila nāstika, vedāśraya nāstikavāda bauddha ke ādi. They take the shelter of Vedas and preach atheism.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Vasan dānto guror hitam. The beginning of life is how to become cent percent obedient to guru. That is Gurukula. That training should be given. The whole process is that our life will be successful when we strictly follow guru and Kṛṣṇa. Guru means Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa means guru. Not Māyāvāda, but guru means one who follows Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. So guru is directly God, sākṣād-hari. Sākṣād means directly. So sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas **, in every śāstra it is said the guru is one, Kṛṣṇa. So, it is stated in the śāstra and it is accepted by authorities. Not that it is simply stated.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Jyotirmāyī: Some verses from Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Ukta, ukta means "said." And sadbhiḥ, "by great personalities." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas **, tathā, and "accordingly," tathā means "accordingly," bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ, those who are actually in transcendental platform, they should accept it. So why? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva... It does not mean Māyāvādī, that he has become God. But kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya, he is the most confidential servant. He's therefore servant-God. He's God, servant-God. God is master-God. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. So why he has become priya? That is, Kṛṣṇa says personally, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: (BG 18.69) nobody is dearer than him in the whole world. Why? Ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidā... (Bg 18.68). "Who preaches this gospel of Bhagavad-gītā among My devotees." So the guru has got two business. He has to make devotees and teach them the principles of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore he's so dear. Not that he has become God, not Māyāvādī philosophy. He's living entity, but because he acts very confidentially on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, therefore he's as good as God. This is bhakti. Not the Māyāvādī philosophy that guru has become God. Guru as God, not become. He's servant-God. And Kṛṣṇa is master-God. So the success is that both the Gods, when one is accepted by both the Gods, then his life is success.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, everything is devotional. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23), there are varieties. We are not Māyāvādī, impersonalists, finished, all business. It is not like that. So whatever business is going on in our movement, everything should be taught according to the capacity, boys or girls, it doesn't matter. Some department is suitable for the boys, some department are suitable for the girls. In this way, they should be trained up. But everyone should be trained up to give service. That is Gurukula. And brahmacārī, this sex impulse should be controlled. That ruins the whole character. Our big, big sannyāsīs are becoming victimized. So that is the danger. Woman is good, man is good; when they combine together, bad. This is the material world. Both of them are good, but when they combine together, they are bad. This is material world. In the spiritual world, there is no such combination of sense gratification.

Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Īśvara, more or less everyone, but īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, that is Godhead. The Māyāvādīs, they do not distinguish between one īśvara to another īśvara. That may be on the ordinary level, but there is parama īśvara.

Yogeśvara: One possibility would be to say God the Supreme Person is light. That we can translate.

Prabhupāda: God means Supreme Person. But these advaitavādī, Māyāvādīs, they have made God everyone. God means Supreme Person, that is the dictionary word. "Supreme Being." That is the dictionary meaning. God does not mean ordinary, but they have made ordinary, anyone God. "I am God, you are God, he is God."

Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Oh, they couldn't. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). This is the verse. Religion means the words given by God. But they have no idea what is God, whether He can speak or He's a dull, dumb. That is the difficulty. The Māyāvādīs, they say God has no mouth. So how He will speak? He has no eyes, He has no ears. Then who will hear my prayer? That is Māyāvādī definition. But Vedas say apāni-pādo javana gṛhīta.(?) That both things, that He has no leg, but he can walk faster than anyone. He has no ear, but He can hear everything. Just like we have got this ear, but I cannot hear what is going on next room. But God has no ear, but He can hear here, there, everywhere.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Indian man: First time they are hearing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the cause we are selling six lakhs of rupees' worth books daily. They understand it is not so-called religious sentiment, it is science. Our so-called swamis and yogis, they never tried. They did not know. Also big, big swamis, they went there. Instead of teaching them, he was taught how to eat meat. Sannyāsī eating meat. He was convinced, "Yes, why not?" At least, in India still, the sannyāsīs they do not eat meat. Except that rascal missionary. No one. There may be difference of opinion, Māyāvādīs. But their behavior is the same.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That Mādhavendra Purī or somebody delivered to Vallabhācārya. Mādhavendra Purī is not possible, somebody else. (break) Dvārakā Śaṅkarācārya, he's a Māyāvādī, and he'll give Bhāgavata?

Acyutānanda: No, he's just going to give blessings to the... He's presiding, I guess. (break)

Prabhupāda: That is also complete like this?

Saurabha: Yes. The other side we are making one special room for you on the roof. So...

Prabhupāda: One special room like this? No.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Acyutānanda: They say how this is the instructions for how Bhāgavata should be read in seven days up to this canto.

Prabhupāda: Gītā Press was Māyāvādī. (break)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This lady? That man there? He's our accountant, Mr. Krishna. He lives with us full time. He's doing very good service.

Vāsughoṣa: About two months ago in Hyderabad they had a very big Bhāgavata-saptāha. One thousand and eight brāhmaṇas chanting Bhāgavatam for seven days, and it was presided over by a big Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, Rāmānuja-sampradāya. And all the local Marwaris, they gave lakhs of rupees for prasādam and so many things.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They hurt our collection, I think.

Vāsughoṣa: No, they haven't given anything to our temple, but for this, the same people, some of them, most of them refused even to become members. One man who refused me to become a member, he gave fifty thousand rupees for prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Why they refused us or help us?

Hari-śauri: He's talking about some Bhāgavata-saptāha they had there.

Prabhupāda: Because it is...

Evening Darsana -- August 15, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (converses in Hindi) Indian Māyāvādīs are more dangerous. (Hindi) Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). Anyone who is influenced by Māyāvādī, he's doomed. He's finished. No more spiritual knowledge. He's doomed.

Evening Darsana -- August 15, 1976, Bombay:

Indian: Māyāvādī?

Prabhupāda: Māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. Māyā (Hindi) Who is very, very much under the influence of māyā, he is Māyāvādī. Unless he is too much under the influence of māyā, how he can say that "I'm God"? Which is impossible. (Hindi) So many things which makes one rāja, and if you simply imagine, "I am rāja. "So how much rascal he is. Just see. Mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). (Hindi) Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If one follow the Māyāvādīs and thinks that "I am God," then he is finished. His future is finished.

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: There may be some percentage. If you do not accept the recognized process... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was a great scholar. So He was chanting and dancing. So some of the sannyāsīs, Māyāvādī sannyāsīs in Benares... (to servant:) You keep it there, they will take. There was a meeting, and the question was that "You are a sannyāsī..." This question was put to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "You have taken sannyāsa, you do not read Vedānta, and you are mixing with the sentimental persons, chanting and dancing. What is this?" This was the question. So He explained that, "Yes, My Guru Mahārāja found Me a great rascal." Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). You understand Bengali? No. "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a rascal number one. Therefore he has chastised Me." What is that? Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana. "He has said that 'You are rascal, you cannot read Vedas and Vedānta. You are rascal. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' So I'm doing that."

Meeting with Endowments Commissioner -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Anyone can know because direction is there. It is not a secret thing. It is open secret. But you have to act upon it. That requires training. And so far my experience goes, the whole world will take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unfortunately, I am struggling single-handed. And they are criticizing me in the Parliament. You have seen the recent article Blitz against me? What is that heading? "Ungodly face." I am doing ungodly? But they are advertising like that. Trying to make me unpopular. The Māyāvādīs, they say that Bhaktivedanta Swami is ruining Hinduism. They are saying like that. (Hindi) So I am being criticized in Parliament, I am criticized by the so-called jagad-gurus who have never seen what is jagat. And so on, so on.

Room Conversation -- August 25, 1976, Hyderabad:

Indian man (2): It will never stop, that's the fact. That is that a man...

Prabhupāda: But Māyāvādī philosophy is that you offer upāsana now and when you are perfect you become one.

Indian man (2): Not one. I mean you merge with one. Not you become one. You merge with one.

Prabhupāda: Then there is no advaita-vāda. There is dvaita-vāda. Two. There is no advaita-vāda. If you accept that you remain different, then there is no advaita.

Indian man (2): We don't dare do you see, ācchā, at a particular stage you like to merge with Him?

Prabhupāda: Meeting, I am meeting you. That does not mean we have become one. You are meeting me, I am meeting you. So we are different.

Room Conversation -- September 11, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: They're all Māyāvādīs. He was just...

Pradyumna: I was just underlining that thing and...

Prabhupāda: So you write. I've already told you. I cannot speak now. You write. I have given you already hints.

Pradyumna: Avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannam. He says, "I come from the formless." But Kṛṣṇa says anyone who says that is abuddhayaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Besides that, He says in another place that as they pass through our existence... (break) ...in future we shall continue, then when he becomes avyakta?

Room Conversation (Bullock Cart SKP) -- September 12, 1976, Vrndavana:

Lokanātha: Saint Tukārāma.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Saint Tukārāma. He's a great saint. He is Māyāvādī or Vaiṣṇava?

Lokanātha: Tukārāma is Vaiṣṇava.

Prabhupāda: Oh! Tukārāma is Vaiṣṇava.

Lokanātha: But this is different. Tukārāma met Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Mylapur(?).

Prabhupāda: Yes. Tukārāma is a disciple of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then it is in order. What is the...

Letter to Sai Baba -- September 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And blasphemous. In this way find out.

Pradyumna: Completely Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: Completely.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: Now someone may bring up the one point, they say "Well, if an avatāra comes if he must show all kinds of great opulences and powers, then he says sometimes the incarnation shows this, but sometimes, like when Lord Caitanya appeared He didn't show viśvarūpa or..."

Prabhupāda: But He never claimed that "I am avatāra." But we understand from the śāstric evidence. He never claimed. Rather when He was addressed as Kṛṣṇa He blocked His ears, "You don't say like that." He never claimed. He fully displayed Himself as a devotee. Not Bhagavān. Therefore Gaurāṅgavāda is illegal. Gaurāṅga-nāgarī. That is illegal. Moha-vāda or something like that.

Room Conversation -- September 17, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu. I can see within my limit, or I can feel pains and pleasure within my... But He knows everything, everywhere. Sarva-kṣetreṣu. And because I cannot become like Him, therefore Māyāvādīs say kalpana, "This is imagination." He wants to make God like himself, and he wants to become like God. Therefore all description about God he thinks imagination, kalpana. Kalpana. Dr. Frog. Huh? More than this water, the...? How it is possible? Atlantic Ocean, very very big. What is that big? Maybe four feet, five, yes. Otherwise kalpana. It it is not within his "feet" estimation, then he's kalpana, imagination. This is their knowledge. (indistinct) I can think of three feet, four feet, five feet, ten feet, hundred feet-like that. And when I'm informed, "No, no, it is unlimited feet." Ah, this is kalpana. This is going on. So what other news? I have to send one letter to the governor.

Room Conversation with U.N. Doctor -- September 29, 1976, Vrndavana:

Doctor: Faith is blind.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Faith with good knowledge, that is nice. If you have good knowledge of Kṛṣṇa and you have faith, that is very good. But if you... Just like Māyāvādīs, they say, "Imagine Kṛṣṇa as God." They say, "Imagine."

Doctor: That is no good.

Prabhupāda: They are no good. Kalpana. They say, kalpana. Sādhakānāṁ gitarthaya(?) brahma-rūpa-kalpana. Rūpa-kalpana. But Kṛṣṇa's rūpa is not kalpana. It is fact. So kalpana is not faith, it is blind. Let me imagine some form of Kṛṣṇa. And therefore gradually, they come down to the position that any form you imagine as God, that is all right. They have come to this degradation.

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The bābājīs, they are against anything preaching. They are very, very much against preaching. So I am preaching. Bābājīs, the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, and all of them, their idea is that I am ruining this bhajana and Hindu dharma. This is the propaganda. What I am writing, they are all wrong. And they are making... And they try to poison my disciples as far as possible so that the whole institution may be poisoned and break. This is their propaganda.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Otherwise who cares for whom? There are so many things. Here also, they are feeling the pressure, the so-called swamis, yogis, Gosvāmīs, religious groups, Māyāvādīs...

Hari-śauri: Communists.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Hari-śauri: Communists, too.

Prabhupāda: Communists. That is our success. Everyone is now feeling the pressure. (Bengali) and they are talking (Bengali). In such a short time, so much money, so much expansion, so many devotees, what is this? That is Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- November 15, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And that is clear. Simple, two words. Unfortunately they want to deny God. They take the place of God, all these Māyāvādīs. Ānandam, mostly. So that is rascaldom. How you can take the position of God?

Mr. Saxena: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: But they want to take the position of God. "Everyone is God. I am God, you are God." This is they are claiming.

Mr. Saxena: Bhagavan Rajneesh.

Prabhupāda: So many rascals. Why Rajneesh? There are many other.

Morning Walk -- November 17, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He's a Māyāvādī.

Caraṇāravindam: Yes, he's a Māyāvādī. He did not like it when the other people take an interest in us.

Akṣayānanda: And they see that people are giving us money too. (Prabhupāda laughs) Actually wherever we go, with a few exceptions, wherever we go, after the third day we just suddenly become unwelcome even though we behave all right. The third day is about the limit.

Caraṇāravindam: The one exception is this Gita Bhavan in Indore.

Akṣayānanda: There are a few exceptions.

Caraṇāravindam: They were nice to us there.

Prabhupāda: They are nice. Once I had been there.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: I will give you practical example. Just like you take red water, colored water. So put into the sea, does this mean that sea becomes red? That little spot may be for the time being. Besides that, merging, this is the philosophy of the Māyāvādīs. Actually that is superficial. Just like a bird, green bird, enters into the green tree. You see that bird is vanished. Because the tree is green and the bird is green, you do not know the separate identification. But the bird is there, separate identification. It is not the bird has become zero. A airplane goes to the sky, after some time you don't find the airplane. That doesn't mean the airplane has no more identity, separate. It is separate. It is your defective eyes that you cannot see, that it has got separate existence. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that, "I, you and all these kings who are assembled here, we existed in the past, we are now existing, and we shall exist in the future."

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: That's it. Similarly you will find the so-called sannyāsīs, not bhaktas, they undergo severe austerities, penances, but after some time they come to the worldly atmosphere. Because they could not get any place, therefore they come down. Just like the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs they say that this duniyā, (world) jagat mithyā. If jagat is mithyā, you have left it, then why you come again to give some philanthropic service? If it is mithyā, then why you come again after so much? Is it not nonsense? If jagat is mithyā why you are coming again to this mithyā? That means you could not get place in the satya. Therefore you come down again. That is stated in the śāstra. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). Although with severe austerities and penances (he) might go to the paraṁ pada, patanty adhaḥ, anādṛta-yuṣmad, because he could not get shelter at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, he falls down. He must fall down to the material activities.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Mr. Malhotra: Gold, I think I am also gold.

Prabhupāda: No, gold that is accepted, quality. That if you say, this is explanation. You must have brain to understand. That a small particle of gold and a big gold, they are gold in quality but the big gold is millions of dollars and a small particle is few dollars. Just see this is accepted. This Māyāvāda theory has made people atheists, that "I am God, I am equal to God." Very bad theory.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Politics. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta. Senayor ubhayor madhye. (BG 1.21) "Between the two soldiers, keep my chariot, my dear Acyuta." He is addressing Acyuta. Acyuta, Kṛṣṇa, agreed to become his chariot driver. Therefore he is purposefully using this word acyuta. "Because I know You are the Supreme Lord, and I am ordering You, but because You promised that You will carry my order, Acyuta, You never fail in Your word." So God's another name is Acyuta. God never falls down. This Māyāvādī theory that "I am God, now I am fallen down," That is wrong theory. How God can fall down? If God falls down He is not God. Dog falls down, not the God.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He must be Māyāvādī. He's taking advantage of this. He's a Māyāvādī.

Guest (4): He's a man who is following Tantric.

Prabhupāda: So what is this nonsense. This should not be... He should not accompany. He's taking advantage of it.

Guest (4): He's also directly associated with the Prime Minister, this young man. Chandra Swami.

Dr. Patel: The Prime Minister is the greatest Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: Māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. Māyāvādī means māyā has taken his knowledge. māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. 99% they are Māyāvādīs.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: I am the main meaning of the Vedas.

Prabhupāda: Yes, He is the... So He can speak what is Vedānta. And unless one accepts this Vedānta, he's not a Vedāntist. Therefore some of our Vaiṣṇava friends, they have given me this title, Bhaktivedanta. In 1947, something, they, purposefully, they gave me the title that Vedānta means bhakti. "So you take this title, Bhaktivedanta." And we are preaching this Vedānta, that the ultimate platform of Veda, knowledge, is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So he's person, he's speaking. So not that the Māyāvādīs, they take that paratattva is the nirākāra-brahman. But that is not paratattva. Here the person says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So if you have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority, then Vedānta means, He says also, to know Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, it is not anta, it may be middle, it may be beginning, but not anta.

Press Interview -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There are two sections, the impersonalist and the personalist. The personalists are the Vaiṣṇavas, and the impersonalists are the Māyāvādīs. So far the spiritual life is concerned, there is no difference. There is no difference. Just like Śaṅkara. Śaṅkarācārya said that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. The spiritual life is reality. And this is nonreality. But we say that this is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Kṛṣṇa said. We are follower of Kṛṣṇa. "This is a place of suffering. And if you come to Me then your suffering ends." So this world is condemned either by Śaṅkarācārya, or others, everyone. But the modern rascals, they have taken this world as everything. Therefore they are in ignorance.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is natural to serve God, to remain faithful to Him. This is natural. Artificially you are trying to be independent. This is the Māyāvāda... Still, they are trying to become God himself.

Dr. Patel: Sir, after first I met you, some previous time, I made an extensive study of both the sides of Vaiṣṇavism as well as the (indistinct). I think they are falling short of the final (indistinct). Once they say that they are in Brahman, but there is Parabrahman also. That Brahman is nothing but a jyoti of Parabrahman. That they forget.

Prabhupāda: That means knowledge.

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Bhakti-cāriṇī.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. For a devotee, this kaivalya-sukha of the Māyāvādī, impersonalist...

Dr. Patel: Just like naraka.

Prabhupāda: Is the hell for them. What is this nonsense? Who will understand this? Huh? Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And heaven, tridaśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate. Heavenly planets, they are will of the wisp. Phantasmagoria. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. Karmī, jñānī... Jñānī wants kaivalya and karmī wants heavenly happiness. And the yogi, yogi wants to control the senses. So he says that "Yes, we know the senses are very powerful." Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. Indriya, it is just like snake.

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: But they all misunderstand the real purport of his...

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādam asac... He has to preach this Māyāvāda. He has to present himself in that way. Otherwise he is Vaiṣṇava. Māyāvādam asac-chāstraṁ pracchannaṁ bauddham ucyate.

Dr. Patel: Pracchannam Buddha, Śaṅkarācārya.

Prabhupāda: Mayaiva vihitaṁ devi kalau brāhmaṇa-mūrtinā. (break)

Dr. Patel: The most important group in all Vaiṣṇavas. Vaiṣṇava-bhakti-sat-saṅga anyathā yānti vido apy adhaḥ.(?) Even well-versed man will come down if he does not understand. All the branches of Vaiṣṇavism, they give the same comment.

Prabhupāda: Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Without sat-saṅga, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Mad-arthe. Mat-para. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam... This is yoga. Yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. When you take shelter... But these Māyāvādīs... Where is mad-āśrayaḥ? "He is nirākāra." So there is no āśraya. So they cannot perform this yoga because there is no mad-āśrayaḥ. Āśraya loiyā bhaje kṛṣṇa tāre nāhi tyāge.(?) If one takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa and he works under His direction, then he's never forsaken or rejected by Him. He's always under the protection of Kṛṣṇa. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). So that should be our duty. We shall act only to the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Then our activities are purified, and then we are liberated.

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If you have no engagement, then you fall down again. Just like a child, he is engaged in playing always, but engage him in studying. If he gets little interest, then automatically he gives up playing. But if you simply stop playing, then he will become mad, because activity is there. These Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not know this. They simply take the negative thing—this material engagement, zero, Buddha philosophy, nirvāṇa. And that nirvāṇa is another word, nirviśeṣa. That will not help us. There must be varieties and there must be positive life, and that is bhakti.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: But actually they're atheists, or Māyāvādīs.

Prabhupāda: They're ordinary men, third-class men. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati... (BG 7.3). What they'll understand about Kṛṣṇa, third-class men? Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati. When one is siddha, out of them, one may understand. And how these third-class men will understand Kṛṣṇa? If they want to remain on the third-class position, they'll never understand Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I thought we could save the expenditure. But that is not possible.

Gurudāsa: No, we wouldn't actually save so much because the time it would take for the devotees to go there to eat prasādam is three hours, and then the tents are not so good. It would mean a savings of six hundred or eight hundred rupees on tents, and it's completely impractical.

Prabhupāda: And besides that, the Māyāvādīs... Eh? Inconvenience.

Gurudāsa: Yes. And they would not appreciate our preaching all the time.

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī bhāṣya śunile haya sarva nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). Sarva nāśa.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: I had no idea of it. I am reading his books thinking he is still alive.

Trivikrama: He's a Māyāvādī, anyway.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Trivikrama: Aldous Huxley.

Prabhupāda: Aldous Huxley. He is useless. Anyone connected with the Ramakrishna Mission is a useless. Immediately take it.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: We should not be sorry if there is not result. Never mind. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I have brought to Benares hari-nāma, but here they are full of Māyāvādīs. So if it is not sold, all right, I shall take it back." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. So we should not be anxious whether the things are sold or not. But we must do our best canvassing work: "Please take it." That is our duty. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa...

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Just see. Such... They have created this Vivekananda and Cinmayanandas, rascals, so many rascals. They have created such situation that Indian people are mostly in darkness, although God appears here in India. They have executed such thankless task, this Vivekananda, Cinmayananda and so many Māyāvādīs. "Ramakrishna is Bhagavān." And what is his certificate that he is Bhagavān? "He said." No. He said "I am the same Rāma. I am the same Kṛṣṇa."

Room Conversation with Sannyasis -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: It's clear that for the first time these scholars are understanding the difference between the Bhagavad-gītā and the Māyāvādī conception. It's clear that now you have saved them. Previous to this, all they knew about is this impersonal concept.

Prabhupāda: That is the business of ācārya, sampradāya-rakṣana, to save the sampradāya from falling down. Sampradāya. Sampradāya rakṣana.

Rāmeśvara: After centuries of rascaldom you are giving them the first clear choice.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That was the desire of my Guru Mahārāja. I am just trying.

Room Conversation with Sannyasis -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Without your activities this man could not have written that... He could not have had that understanding. If you had not started this movement, there would be no difference, no contrast. There would just be Māyāvādī in the Western world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. People heard that Indian philosophy is Māyāvāda. Māyāvādam asac chāstraṁ pracchanaṁ bauddhaṁ ucyate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu repeatedly said, māyāvāda bhāṣya śunile haya sarva nāśa: "He is doomed." Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhi. These are the direct charges against the Māyāvāda. My Guru Mahārāja also, a staunch enemy of the Māyāvāda philosophy. And you are also singing, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī. The śūnyavādī are the Buddhist, and nirviśeṣavādī are the Māyāvādīs. Paścatya-deśa, they are embarassed with this śūnyavādī and nirviśeṣavādī. Now we are trying to give them solid personification of the Absolute Truth. Here also, India, they are spoiled by these Māyāvādī. Now it is in your hand, able hands. You are resourceful, intelligent. Spread this Vaiṣṇava philosophy and challenge this Māyāvāda and śūnyavāda. Thank you. Jaya. (devotees offer obeisances) Here is a would-be Vaiṣṇava. (laughs) Very nice. He is a very nice child.

Room Conversation with Sannyasis -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: ...between the Māyāvādī and the actual philosophy of Lord Caitanya. And that review is a credit that your writing is so clear that they cannot fail to understand the point.

Prabhupāda: He has written that "Bhaktivedanta Swami has very convincingly presented." He said that.

Satsvarūpa: Yes. That was the first one.

Hari-śauri: He was writing how you were following strictly in the paramparā.

Rāmeśvara: Some of these scholars write "The message radiates and shines brightly from every page." They're writing like that.

Satsvarūpa: And after describing the whole tradition, he said that the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is the Western branch. So that's a good testimony for our movement, not just the...

Hari-śauri: Not something concocted.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. That's very good.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Rāmeśvara: That's very important. He has given us historical...

Prabhupāda: Place.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Hari-śauri: "This statement of Parīkṣit Mahārāja's was very much appreciated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. The answer anticipates the abominable activities of the Māyāvādī impersonalists, who place themselves in the position of Kṛṣṇa and enjoy the company of young girls and women. The basic Vedic injunctions never allow a person to enjoy sex with any woman except one's own wife. Kṛṣṇa's appreciation of the gopīs appeared to be distinctly in violation of these rules. Mahārāja Parīkṣit understood the total situation from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, yet to further clear the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs in the rasa dance, he expressed his surprise. This is very important in order to check the unrestricted association with women by the prākṛta-sahajiyā. In his statement, Mahārāja Parīkṣit has used several important..."

Prabhupāda: In Vṛndāvana this prākṛta-sahajiyā, they are making bhajana that a man, he thinks that "I am Kṛṣṇa"; another woman...

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Śukadeva Gosvāmī warns that the conditioned followers who are not actually in control should never even imagine imitating the uncommon activities of the controller. A Māyāvādī philosopher may falsely claim to be God or Kṛṣṇa, but he cannot actually act like Kṛṣṇa. He can persuade his followers to falsely imitate the rasa dance, but he is unable to lift Govardhana Hill. We have many experiences in the past of Māyāvādī rascals deluding their followers by posing themselves as Kṛṣṇa in order to enjoy rasa līlā. In many instances they were checked by the government, arrested and punished. In Orissa, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda also punished the so-called incarnation of Viṣṇu who was imitating rasa-līlā with young girls. There were many complaints against him. At that time Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a magistrate, and the government deputed him to deal with that rascal, and he punished him very severely. The rasa-līlā dance cannot be imitated by anyone. Śukadeva Gosvāmī warns that one should not even think of imitating it.

Morning Walk -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Gurukṛpa: Like that Māyāvādī last night.

Prabhupāda: He was a rascal. (laughs) Neither māyāvāda suviravādī, opportunist.

Hari-śauri: He's just a mūḍha, that man last night. (out of car) (break)

Gargamuni: We can walk on the beach. It's a very smooth beach, the sand. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...I was jumping here. (laughter) 1920 or '21, I came. After my appearing in examination, B.A. test, I came here. By that time I was married. I was married in 1918. (break) Because jubilant, I was jumping. When the waves come, I was jumping, the waves passed. There was one guide, he taught me, Babuji, ei sakava.

Room Conversation -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: In India, the Māyāvādīs, they have no idea. "Nirākāra." What is the nonsense, nirākāra? The things are going on, imagination. "You can accept anyone as God." This is going on in India, Hindu religion. They do not know that here is... Kṛṣṇa is God. Only few Vaiṣṇavas, they know what is God. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Otherwise nobody knows. That is the defect. They do not know God; they do not know what God wants. So where is religion? There is no religion. Bogus. Cheating. They do not know about God, and they do not know what God wants. Then where is the religion? All bogus. They have created something, mano-dharma, mental concoction. Otherwise how they can kill animals, all other religion killing animals. What do they know about God? God... They say, "Supreme father." Eh, and animal has... He's not son.

Room Conversation -- February 3, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Bhāgavata: We are threatening their sense gratification.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So go on with fighting. We are not the Vṛndāvana bābājīs: "No, we are so perfect we do not go out of Vṛndāvana, and chant... Chant or not chant, we have got three dozen widows." This is going on. Sahajiyā. Still they are better because they have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, than these demons. Our Guru Mahārāja said that although we condemn these sahajiyās, but they are better than the Māyāvādīs because they accept Kṛṣṇa as Supreme Lord. Their character is not good. But still, because they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord somehow or other, they are better than these Māyāvādīs.

Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Krodha bhakta-dveṣi-jane. That is Narottama Ṭhākura's instruction. You must be very angry, those who are against God and devotee, very angry. Utilize your anger for them. Krodha bhakta-dveṣi-jane. That anger is service. Kṛṣṇa-sebā kāmārpaṇe. For Kṛṣṇa's service one should be mad. Kāma-krodha should be given up, but a bhakta does not give up. Utilize it. A bhakta should be very much for kamut(?) serving Kṛṣṇa. And he must utilize his anger for the bhakta-dveṣi, those who are not devotee. Kṛṣṇa-sebā kāmārpaṇe krodha bhakta-dveṣi-jane. We have nothing to give up like Māyāvādī. Kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya. Mātsarya may... That has to be... A bhakta cannot be envious. If a bhakta is angry upon them, that is not envious. That is for good. A bhakta should not be envious. Otherwise how he can preach? He's merciful. Even if he's angry, it is mercy. Therefore this mātsarya has no use for bhakta. Other things, they have use, kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, not mātsarya. Mātsarya is very bad.

Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And he wants to prove nonviolence from Gītā. Just see how foolish he was. If you say publicly that he was a rascal, fool, then you become unpopular. But actually he was a rascal fool. (laughs) Artificial. Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight," and these rascals say, "Nonviolent." He's more than cheating. Māyāvādī.

Evening Darsana -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Acyutānanda: Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: Sanātana. That is Māyāvāda. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātana means eternally they are divided. And Kṛṣṇa says further in the Second Chapter that...

Hari-śauri: Na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "You, Me, and all these kings, they were existing—the individual. You, Me, and... They're existing now, and they'll continue to exist." So where there is oneness? All individual eternally, as aṁśa, aṁśī, this finger and the body. You can say this finger is my body, but finger is not the body, whole body. Finger is finger. Not that if Kṛṣṇa's body is eternal, the finger is also eternal. Not that today it is finger, tomorrow is whole body. That is defective, Māyāvāda philosophy. Finger always exists as finger. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, His finger is eternal, but the finger and the body is the same material. They're not different. They become different when they come to material world without touch of Kṛṣṇa.

Evening Darsana -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Center is Kṛṣṇa. Yaśodā-nandana... What is that? Braja-jana-rañjana... Huh? Yāmuna-tīra-bana-cārī. Rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī, yāmuna-tīra-bana-cārī. So Yamunā is spiritual. Yāmuna-tīra is spiritual. The varieties, the Māyāvādī cannot understand. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They want varieties, but don't accept spiritual variety. Therefore again material life. No other alternative. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti. Again material varieties, philanthropic work, political work, this work, that work. First of all they give up-brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, the jagan mithyā. And again they come out to open school. Why you come here again? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa param..., patanty adhaḥ. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. They could not capture the spiritual varieties. Anādṛta. As soon as there is spiritual varieties they think it is māyā. That is Māyāvāda. There is no māyā. Spiritual variety, there is no māyā. Variety is the mother of enjoyment.

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But if he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he may rise up to that position by endeavor. Then he will fall down. And I have given this example, Nixon and Indira Gandhi. This is factual. To come to take the post of prime minister, to become the president, is not easy job. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa, great hardship. Similarly, the Māyāvādīs, they also undergo severe austerities to become one with the Supreme, impersonalists. Any... I have given the... Karmī, jñānī, yogi, politicians, and everyone—everyone has got some aim. Many rich men, they commit suicide. So this is possi... This is the ultimate result of nondevotee. He may rise up by endeavor to certain position as he imagined, "This is the best position." Just like we are also trying to occupy the best position, to become associate of Kṛṣṇa, to live with devotees.

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī. Otherwise he was a brāhmaṇa and learned scholar, God-fearing, everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, he's very well respected still.

Prabhupāda: In my paper I criticized him, "Scholars Deluded." I gave him criticism.

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Patita-pāvana: And even this Rāmānuja Agnihotram Tattvācārya... I went to the chief of the Raṅganātha Svāmī Temple and made good friends with him. I gave him your Caitanya-caritāmṛta which was the conversation between Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, I'm sorry, Bhaṭṭācārya, Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭācārya, and Lord Caitanya. And he is the ancestor of him, in charge of the Raṅganātha. And he told me that this Agnihotram is a little bit touched by Māyāvāda. I said, "I understand. But," I said, "can he do the universe good? Even though you're criticizing him, does he know the universal description?" And he said, "That he knows. Many people have praised him like this in different works."

Prabhupāda: It is a simply academic thing.

Patita-pāvana: Sampat Kumāra Bhaṭṭācārya also has recommended...

Prabhupāda: It has nothing to do with spiritual advancement. So when we plan, people may not think that it is not according to the...

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Patita-pāvana: Yes. They have written beautiful letters which I am going to xerox and give to my friends for preaching.

Prabhupāda: No, every sane man will appreciate our effort. Especially from general... Even the Māyāvādīs, they are also praising.

Patita-pāvana: The Māyāvādīs, yes.

Prabhupāda: Even the Māyāvādīs, they are also praising these activities. Yesterday two Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, came, Śaṅkara-sampradāya.

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Patita-pāvana: Even this Arkasomayaji, his iṣṭa-devatā is Kanaka Durgā from the Kabur district of the Godāvarī in Andhra, and he's a Māyāvādī. I told him, "We have some difference, but please shelve your differences and simply follow our point of view." He said, "That's all right, but I think your guru is the Divine walking the earth, and I must serve him." (laughs) So I said, "Very good. Please come and help."

Prabhupāda: So arrange to receive them. Give them very kindly... If Acarya agrees, that will be great success.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Even though it's Māyāvādī, still, they are displaying Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. Gītā ślokas are on the walls everywhere.

Trivikrama: Yes. It seems they can't get away from Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Trivikrama: They can't get away from Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they cannot. They can cheat, but with Gītā. They are like Gandhi. He cheated with a Gītā, in the name of Gītā. Even they cannot cheat with Gītā. Bhaja... What is that, Gītā-pravacana?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, Gītā...

Prabhupāda: That is another cheating.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Everything is spirit. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Therefore I say there is no matter. Only matter means when the spirit is not discovered. When people are rascals, then there is matter. When people are intelligent, there is no matter. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Therefore Māyāvādī philosophy, that "You are thinking you are not God," that is māyā.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: All these big, big leaders, they want to become āśraya. Gandhi wanted to be āśraya. And he was kicked out: "Get out! You are viśaya. You are trying to be āśraya." Immediately kicked out. That is false theory, Māyāvāda. Bhakativinoda āśraya... What is that song?

Pradyumna: Nāmāśraya kori' jatane tumi thākaha āpana kāje.

Prabhupāda: There is another... Yaśomatī...

Satadhanya: Yaśomatī-nandana, in that last line, Bhaktivinoda āśraya.

Prabhupāda: Āśraya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, the spiritual master is the shelter.

Prabhupāda: No, spiritual master is under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa.

Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One time in that article they made a change. Saying that, the whole Vaiṣṇava philosophy became Māyāvādī in that scientific article. So I told them that "You are better than..., a better (indistinct)." It all become Māyāvādī, so it became all mad. That is why I strongly told them that "This shouldn't be the way. If you want to change, you have to consult with those who are writers."

Prabhupāda: So they are doing very freely and dangerously. And this rascal is always after change, Rādhā-vallabha. He's a great rascal. (pause) Read.

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Argument is there when it is conceivable. It is inconceivable. Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana. Seven years old, six years old. How it is conceivable? But devotees, they are crying, "Oh, Giri-vara-dhārī." And the Māyāvādīs they say kalpanāyā. The Akhandananda was saying. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating something kalpanāyā and wasting his time?

Bhakti-prema: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: This is acintya for the Māyāvādīs. They say kalpanāyā. These Akhandananda and other Māyāvādīs, they explain Bhāgavata-kalpanāyā. They are making some imagination that "I am God," but they are alleging us, that "You are in illusion." God, as soon as there is some toothache, he goes to the doctor. He's such a rascal hypocrite. There was some heart attack going on, so Akhandananda, immediately he called one of his chief disciples, that Mishra, Jasri, and he was taken to Bombay hospital. And he's God.

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: This is their... Apauruṣeyam. Actually India's culture is going on that way. Mass of people, they are going to Prayāga for taking bath. What do they know? They have received it from authorities that if you take bath in such and such place... Ah, lakhs of people will go. That is India's culture. Without any advertisement, without any means, walking hundreds of miles they are coming, yes, that is their culture. And the government is perturbed that people are so prejudiced. So how to make them forget? This is going on. But they don't listen. They just, "If I take bath I'll..." That is the difference between Western and Eastern. And as soon as there is interpretation, it is Māyāvāda. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has rejected-māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). You see in the Kumbhamela how peacefully they are sitting. They are accepting Vedic culture. So nice atmosphere. Simply by going there you'll be satisfied. That is the difference between East and West.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Satsvarūpa, American-born personal secretary to Swami Bhaktivedanta, presents the official Hare Kṛṣṇa approach." They don't even identify you. They know who you are. You are so well known in these literary circles now that someone says, "Swami Bhaktivedanta." They don't have to say "Founder of ISKCON." They know already from your other books. "...presents the official Hare Kṛṣṇa approach in an articulate and highly serviceable introduction to this immense body of literature. The readings include the Īśopaniṣad, the Bhagavad-gītā and excerpts from Purāṇas, supplemented with a glossary and index. Preliminary essays detail the logic by which his group rejects both the academic experts and the rival approach of advaita-vedānta that Westerners know through the writings of Vivekananda and Radhakrishnan. This is a book long needed to balance out the monist theology that is but one aspect of Indian religious thought." In other words, this is one of the first books to present the Vaiṣṇava viewpoint, not simply the Māyāvādī viewpoint. He says, "It's well needed." That's all he's written.

Prabhupāda: Very appreciated. Very much appreciate.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And plus, the temples make money also. It's a new source of income for the temples. And if we don't do it, the karmīs are doing it in any case.

Prabhupāda: No, no, we shall do exactly like karmīs, but not for us. For Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Same thing we are doing. Therefore these Māyāvādī cannot understand. "Again form?" The example is just like a man like me, he's diseased, he's suffering. And when they say, "Mother Yaśodās' crying," "So again crying?" He does not know what is this crying. He thinks this crying and that crying the same. Therefore Māyāvādī. They want to make it zero—no crying. But we take it a great blessing, crying for Kṛṣṇa. But they cannot understand. They say, "Again crying? Then what is the benefit?" And this is māyā. You understand? This is the simple understanding of Māyāvāda. As soon as there is crying, they say, "Oh, it is māyā. No crying." Nirviśeṣa-vādī. Crying is a great transcendental pleasure. That they cannot understand, the poor fund of knowledge. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was simply crying. That is love. So that they do not understand, how crying can be pleasure. That is Māyāvāda. All right.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dr. Kapoor was there this morning. I was not there during the part where he spoke, but apparently he spoke some Māyāvādī philosophy, this Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor.

Gurukṛpā: He said that everything is made of molecules, and molecules are invisible; therefore actually everything is invisible. Therefore everything is like a dream, everything is unreal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is the result of all of his years of study in order to write his book. He's become a Māyāvādī. Or at least his... Mādhava dāsa, our Mādhava dāsa, he got up and completely defeated him.

Gurukṛpā: If everything is invisible, then he should also become invisible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Acyutānanda Mahārāja said, "Then someone should have got up and said, 'Then why are you speaking if it is all a dream? Why are you even talking? Then your talking is also a dream, so why not sit down?' "

Bhavānanda: He said, "If everything is invisible, then how about me taking this invisible chair and smashing it over your invisible head?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Doctor Kapoor is really something.

Prabhupāda: He has become Māyāvādī.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Doctor Kapoor is really something.

Prabhupāda: He has become Māyāvādī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (laughter) Does that sound possible? It sounds possible, doesn't it? Yes.

Gurukṛpā: He said before he met His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta that he was a Māyāvādī. Now he's still a Māyāvādī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He gave up his... He became part of this Nitāi-Gaura-Rādhe-Śyāma group. And how genuine could he be to do that? Anyway, no one took him very seriously.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No one took him very seriously, especially after Mādhava dāsa smashed his nonsense point. Of course, he did it very nicely, Mādhava dāsa. Because he's a scientist, he did it in a very tasteful way, scientifically proved that what he said was wrong.

Bhavānanda: Prabhupāda? You haven't taken very much liquid today, only 200 cc's of juice, not counting the yāmuna-jala. Would you like us to make you up some juice, pomegranate juice?

Prabhupāda: That juice is good, lime.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhagavān: He just spoke right before the thing closed. Svarūpa Dāmodara tried to point out how there is a difference between matter and spirit in that one can definitely see the difference between a living body and a dead body. But he didn't actually go in too much detail to defeat his arguments. But I was very surprised that he would come up with such a Māyāvādī statement, that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā philosophy. There are not so many scientists there today, maybe twenty. (kīrtana) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...let me pass. (pause)

Hari-śauri: If you're here with us, then that's all we need. Then we can go out and do anything.

Prabhupāda: Tomorrow shall I take the risk of taking little milk?

Hari-śauri: Generally when you take milk it causes lot of difficulty with mucus. This sweet lime juice, that seems to be doing some good, though. Perhaps it might be better not to take the milk for a little while until your system becomes more healthy.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, actually we can do that. Dr. Kapoor spoke for about five minutes...

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādī?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually he's very much influenced by Māyāvādī ideas, I realized. Then later on, he spoke to me that there is some misunderstanding. I told him that this is not what we have learned from Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayādvaita: You've been speaking so strongly just now that I was sorry that I suggested that we stop. So now I'm glad that you're continuing. Flashlight?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) Aprākṛta, transcendental. Whatever we discuss, that is on the transcendental platform, nothing to do with this material world. The Māyāvādī impersonalist, they cannot understand this. They think this is also material.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhī. While discussing with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī... "Caitanya," "Brahman," that's... Nothing like Kṛṣṇa. Here they are doing, this Akshandananda, and what is his name? Another...? "Brahman Brahman." When they cannot explain anything—"Brahman," bas, finished.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śatadhanya: How the Māyāvādī thinks that he can..., that the material energy is false when at every step he's baffled by the material energy?

Prabhupāda: That is his foolishness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa instructs, but he does not take. He wants to remain in māyā and at the same time claim that he is liberated.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Also, modern science tries to compromise... I'm sorry: Māyāvādīs try to compromise with modern science.

Prabhupāda: There is no other way. They cannot make a solution, so they must try to make a compromise.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And that is Māyāvāda. (break) ...superficially Caitanya Mahāprabhu also a Māyāvādī.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. That was confirmed when He was talking like that. Just like Carl Jung... He's a psychologist. He says that matter is a concept, some sort of imagination that one has in his mind, something like that idea that these Māyāvādīs... They think this is not real.

Prabhupāda: It is not real in this sense: because the spirit is there, therefore it is there. Because there is consciousness, there is ignorance, covering. And if you stop this ignorance, then consciousness is there, pure.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He is Māyāvādī, this... What is? Akhandananda?

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You met him?

Brahmānanda: I didn't see... You remember you went to that Kurukṣetra meeting?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: About two years ago? Mainly the same people are here also that were there at that meeting. Then this Swami Cinmayananda...

Prabhupāda: He has not come.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: But they treated you with much respect, though. They said that they had wanted Your Divine Grace to come because you are also a member of their steering committee. (indistinct) They also had a proposal to produce a series of different books, small books, pamphlets, forty, fifty pages, comprising selections from the Bhagavad-gītā. And these would be for specific types of persons. The books would be Bhagavad-gītā for students, Bhagavad-gītā for businessmen, Bhagavad-gītā for scientists, like that. So they want us to produce the book for the scientists, taking various quotes from Bhagavad-gītā with a short explanation of the verse. So I said one problem is that all the different groups who are assembled here will all have different interpretations of the verses. What about this? And they said, "No, no, we shouldn't interpret." I said, "Well, one reason that the young people are not taking up this Bhagavad-gītā is because they see that everyone is giving a different interpretation. Nobody is presenting it as it is, so they're confused." I was in Kashmir, I was speaking with some young boys. They were telling me they're confused by religion. They don't respect the paṇḍitas in the temples—they're all simply after money. They have no respect for religion, Hindu religion. So I mentioned this to all of them. They are all Māyāvādīs. And they argued with me. I presented arguments. They would not accept it.

Prabhupāda: They want to avoid criticism.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: They were arguing with me. They would not accept. They were so strong Māyāvāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually this is one way that we ought to be able to... First of all, it would be prestigious on our part to stick to our principles, and secondly, actually people will find that we're convinced when they'll see, "You are Māyāvādī, we have no bus... You are not..." At first they may feel offended, that why shouldn't we let everybody speak.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda says, in future, henceforward, these people should not be allowed to hold lectures here. Strictly Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching forbids. Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhī. You tell them, "You're Māyāvādī. So this is a Kṛṣṇa conscious temple. If you're speaking on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Vaiṣṇavism..." We don't need their money, neither do we need them to become more prestigious. Rather, they need us. They came here only because of the fact that they're so insignificant that they wanted to be associated with Prabhupāda. Without you they have no substance, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Without your presence the meeting has no substance.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda, Your Divine Grace and this movement is the only substantial movement left in India now, in the whole world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can have signboard: "No Māyāvādīs visit (?) here." (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow. Just like "No dogs allowed." (laughter) Are you serious about that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm. (indistinct)

Brahmānanda: If they come and they want to hold meetings, we show them the signboard that "We don't allow Māyāvādīs here."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Now the danger is māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). So Vṛndāvana is full of Māyāvādīs. Do you accept it? And I am afraid our men may be influenced. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's clear saying-māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Hm? What is to be done? (break) They are coming to our Vṛndāvana temple, Bombay temple. What is their purpose? They may occupy it? Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they can't occupy it.

Prabhupāda: So we have to be very careful. Hm?

Akṣayānanda: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Akṣayānanda? And Tamāla?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they're not going to get in. From now on we're going to have a sign on all of our temples, "No Māyāvādī Meetings Allowed."

Prabhupāda: It is clearly written, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śu... Sixth Chapter. Hm? The Sarvabhauma...

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: One sixty-nine.

jīvera nistāra lāgi' sūtra kaila vyāsa

māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa

(CC Madhya 6.169)

That's Sixth Chapter, Madhya-līlā, verse 169. "Śrīla Vyāsadeva presented the Vedānta philosophy for the deliverance of conditioned souls, but if one hears the commentary of Śaṅkarācārya, everything is spoiled." Shall I read the purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhavānanda: Purport: "Factually the devotional service of the Lord is described in Vedānta-sūtra, but the Māyāvādī philosophers, the Śaṅkarites, prepared a commentary known as Śārīraka-bhāṣya, in which the transcendental form of the Lord is denied. The Māyāvādī philosophers think that the living entity is identical with the Supreme Soul, Brahman. Their commentaries on Vedānta-sūtra are completely opposed to the principle of devotional service. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore warns us to avoid these commentaries. If one indulges in hearing the Śaṅkarite Śārīraka-bhāṣya, he will certainly be bereft of all real knowledge. The ambitious Māyāvādī philosophers desire to merge into the existence of the Lord, and this may be accepted as sāyujya-mukti. However, this form of mukti means denying one's individual existence. In other words, it is a kind of spiritual suicide. This is absolutely opposed to the philosophy of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga offers immortality to the individual conditioned soul. If one follows the Māyāvādī philosophy, he misses his opportunity to become immortal after giving up the material body. The immortality of the individual person is the highest perfectional stage a living entity can attain."

Prabhupāda: Who were..., was present all through in the meeting?

Akṣayānanda: Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bajaj was there. Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, you were there?

Akṣayānanda: I was there.

Prabhupāda: So what the gosvāmīs said?

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they're attending, Bon Mahārāja, so that means the whole of Vṛndāvana has become Māyāvādī, because they're all attending this meeting. Our men should not attend this meeting any more, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: No, just see the, how they have functioned. It is our place. We should guard. So, and all the men were accommodated in their room?

Akṣayānanda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They could all fit in the meeting room?

Akṣayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And who was presiding?

Akṣayānanda: The Aurobindo.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That guy's a pakka Māyāvādī. That Aurobindo man?

Prabhupāda: Aurobind.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He had a big argument with Brahmānanda. Not a big argument, but he was challenging Brahmānanda that "Kṛṣṇa means the divine consciousness. Kṛṣṇa is not a person. He is the... It is divine consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Māyāvāda.

Akṣayānanda: I have a plan, Prabhupāda. Myself and Bhakti-prema Swami can go there and sit, and if we hear any discrepancies, if we are given a chance afterwards, which we can arrange, to speak something, then we can rectify—in a gentlemanly way, of course. We can rectify. If we sit there, at least we know that they'll be careful what they say. And he can catch any finer points that I would miss, 'cause it's all in Hindi.

Prabhupāda: They are speaking in Hindi.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He used to be a Māyāvādī.

Akṣayānanda: Yes. But he understands fully this philosophy and accepts it.

Prabhupāda: So this is the position. The whole Vṛndāvana is full of Māyāvādīs. We have to be very, very cautious and careful. I was there. That Brahmānanda protested against that Aurobindo. And then "Don't speak of Gītā."

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: I don't think so, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Just like yesterday, I was noticing in their afternoon meeting, they had microphone, and you could hear the speakers outside. I was thinking that this Māyāvādī... Someone is speaking Māyāvādī philosophy, it's polluting the boys. Even you don't understand Hindi, the sound vibration itself is polluting. You once told me, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that to even hear Sanskrit Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the mouth of a Māyāvādī, it will poison you. Even you don't understand, just the sound vibration coming from that source is polluting. So what is the necessity for us to rent out our facility to them?

Prabhupāda: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Well, the point is that we have not built these temples for profit-making basis. We have built these temples to demonstrate to the world an ideal, perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if we are going to allow these people to come here, that means we're compromising. Then we should have gone into business...

Prabhupāda: Just like to take advertisement in the magazine.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Of course, Śrīla Prabhupāda, another view is that we've constructed such attractive facilities here, and the purpose is to attract people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if we let out this auditorium in Bombay and here in Vṛndāvana, so those people will come. They may be Māyāvādī... Actually everyone is Māyāvādī today. So it's a good opportunity for preaching if we're strong.

Prabhupāda: Preaching means to convert Māyāvādīs to Vaiṣṇava. Otherwise where is the need of preaching?

Bhavānanda: Preaching also means risk.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No risk. We take money from them. So we get some money. That is our gain. So anything, do very carefully.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you said we should have a sign, "No Māyāvādī Meetings Allowed."

Prabhupāda: No. If this is allowed free.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) There is good demand all over the world. (Hindi) "Kṛṣṇa is not person; Kṛṣṇa is consciousness." (Hindi) Kṛṣṇa personally speaking, and "He is consciousness." He says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). "I come down." (Hindi) Māyāvādī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has condemned, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). (Hindi) Yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ. Kṛṣṇa said that "I am speaking to you the old yoga system." (Hindi) ...not my interpretation. (Hindi) (break) Kṛṣṇa is person. Where is that verse in the Tenth Canto?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Actually I think you're the only one on the whole planet who is not Māyāvādī-Māyāvādī or influenced by Māyāvādī philosophy. Actually until you came to the West, the only philosophy that had come to America from India was Māyāvādī philosophy. No one knew anything else. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Each verse is like a separate lecture, Śrīla Prabhupāda. What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: We shall chant our beads or read book?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which would you like?

Prabhupāda: For me, everything is all right.