Devotee (1): You said that a person progresses through the three levels of God realization from Brahman realization. Is that true also for a Vaiṣṇava? Does he first attain Brahman realization and then Paramātmā, or does he...
Prabhupāda: Vaiṣṇava, immediately given lift to the Supreme Person, and because he understands Supreme Person, automatically he understands what is Paramātmā and what is Brahman. Others, they go step by step, but Vaiṣṇava is given immediate lift. Just like somebody is earning money, ten dollars, fifteen dollars, twenty dollars, and he is thinking of accumulating money, 100,000 dollars. So if somebody gives him immediately 100,000 dollars, "Take this," then ten dollars, fifteen, twenty dollars, hundred dollars, thousand dollars are all in. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you simply have tried to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. Then Kṛṣṇa says, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā: "The impersonal Brahman is resting upon Me." So you immediately understand what is impersonal Brahman. Yasya prabhā: (Bs. 5.40) "It is the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa's body." Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). You understand, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa resides in everyone's heart as Paramātmā." So immediately understand what is Paramātmā. Immediately understand what is Brahman.
Devotee (1): Because it is a gradual process...
Prabhupāda: No, gradual process for the others, not for the devotee. Devotee is given immediately and that also in a simple way: in His form of name, nāma-rūpe. You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So devotee is privileged so much, especially in this age, that "You take God, the Supreme Absolute Truth, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." If you do it properly, then everything is done. You are given the thing immediately, but it may take some time. That is gradual. That is another thing. And for others, those who are trying to know the Absolute Truth by their own effort, for them, first realization is Brahman. Then next realization is Paramātmā. And if they can surpass these two realizations, then, some day, they may become fortunate to understand what is the Supreme Person. (break)