mayavadis / impersonalists / voidists

 
Imported quote 13024
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura describes that this impersonal feature or Brahman manifestation, of the Supreme Lord is meant for persons who are essentially very advanced but still not able to understand the personal features or variegatedness of the spiritual world. Such devotees are known as jnana-misra-bhaktas, or devotees whose devotional service is mixed with empiric knowledge. Because the impersonal Brahman realization is a partial understanding of the Absolute Truth, Dhruva Maharaja offers his respectful obeisances.    (More...)
It is said that this impersonal Brahman is the distant realization of the Absolute Truth. Although apparently Brahman seems to be devoid of energy, factually it has different energies working under the headings of knowledge and ignorance. On account of these different energies, there is continually a manifestation of vidya and avidya. Vidya and avidya are very nicely described in Īsopanisad. It is said there that sometimes, due to avidya, or a poor fund of knowledge, one accepts the Absolute Truth as ultimately impersonal. But in fact the impersonal and personal realizations develop in proportion to the development of devotional service. The more we develop our devotional service, the more closely we approach the Absolute Truth, which, in the beginning, when we realize the Absolute Truth from a distant place, is manifest as impersonal.    (More...)
Imported quote 13739
Jnana, or knowledge, means to understand one's constitutional position, and vijnana refers to practical application of that knowledge in life. In the human form of life, one should come to the position of jnana and vijnana, but despite this great opportunity if one does not develop knowledge and practical application of knowledge through the help of a spiritual master and the sastras-in other words, if one misuses this opportunity-then in the next life he is sure to be born in a species of nonmoving living entities. Nonmoving living entities include hills, mountains, trees, plants, etc. This stage of life is called punyatam or mukhyatam, namely, making all activities zero. Philosophers who support stopping all activities are called sūnyavadi. By nature's own way, our activities are to be gradually diverted to devotional service. But there are philosophers who, instead of purifying their activities, try to make everything zero, or void of all activities. This lack of activity is represented by the trees and the hills. This is a kind of punishment inflicted by the laws of nature. If we do not properly execute our mission of life in self-realization, nature's punishment will render us inactive by putting us in the form of trees and hills. Therefore activities directed toward sense gratification are condemned herein. One who is constantly thinking of activities to earn money and gratify the senses is following a path which is suicidal. Factually all human society is following this path. Some way or other, people are determined to earn money or get money by begging, borrowing or stealing and applying that for sense gratification. Such a civilization is the greatest obstacle in the path of self-realization.    (More...)
Imported quote 13957
Lord Siva, speaking to Parvati-devi, foretold that he would spread the Mayavada philosophy in the guise of a sannyasi brahmana just to eradicate Buddhist philosophy. This sannyasi was Sripada Sahkaracarya. In order to overcome the effects of Buddhist philosophy and spread Vedanta philosophy, Sripada Sahkaracarya had to make some compromise with the Buddhist philosophy, and as such he preached the philosophy of monism, for it was required at that time. Otherwise there was no need for his preaching Mayavada philosophy. At the present moment there is no need for Mayavada philosophy nor Buddhist philosophy, and Lord Caitanya rejected both of them. This Krsna consciousness movement is spreading the philosophy of Lord Caitanya and rejecting the philosophy of both classes of Mayavada. Strictly speaking, both Buddhist philosophy and Sahkara's philosophy are but different types of Mayavada dealing on the platform of material existence. Neither of these philosophies has spiritual significance. There is spiritual significance only after one accepts the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, which culminates in surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally people worship Lord Siva for some material benefit, and although they cannot see him personally, they nonetheless derive great material profit by worshiping him.    (More...)
Imported quote 15240
The Personality of Godhead is worshiped by exalted demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva. The original Mayavadi sannyasi, Sahkaracarya, also accepted the fact that the Lord's form is transcendental. Narayanaḥ paro 'vyaktat: "Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond the avyakta, the unmanifested material energy." Avyaktad anḍa-sambhavaḥ: "This material world is a creation of that unmanifested material energy." However, Narayana has His own eternal form, which is not created by material energy. Simply by worshiping the form of the Lord, one is purified. However, Mayavadi sannyasis are impersonalist philosophers, and they describe the form of the Lord as maya, or false. How can one be purified by worshiping something false? Mayavadi philosophers have no sufficient reason for being impersonalists. They blindly follow a principle that cannot be supported by reason or argument. This was the situation with Prakasananda Sarasvati, the chief Mayavadi sannyasi of Benares. He was supposed to teach Vedanta philosophy, but he would not accept the form of the Lord; therefore he was attacked with leprosy. Nonetheless, he continued to commit sins by describing the Absolute Truth as impersonal. The Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, always displays pastimes and activities, but Mayavadi sannyasis claim that these activities are false.    (More...)
Imported quote 15744
There are two classes of philosophers: nirvisesa, impersonalist, and the voidist. The whole Western world is full of all these philosophers. Now "You are giving something which is beyond this impersonal idea and voidist," like that.    (More...)

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