Sripada Sankaracarya preached His Mayavada philosophy for bewildering the atheist class of men in order to confound them to become more and more atheist and thus suffer perpetually within the threefold miserable conditions of the material nature. But because He was great devotee at heart He dared not to commit sacrilege by unauthorized commentation on the Bhagavatam for He knew it well that a person who aspires after Mukti or merge one's identity in the impersonal feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is debarred from the benefit of Srimad-Bhagavatam. If you read Srimad-Bhagavatam from the beginning (which is absolutely necessary for a serious student) you will find what is spoken there in the 2nd sloka of the 1st chapter of the 1st Canto. It is clearly stated there that mundane religiosities, economic development, sense gratification and ultimately a frustrated man's desire to merge in the impersonal feature of Godhead and all similar other things are completely thrown away from the transcendental literature of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sripada Sridhara Swami the most authorized commentator on the Bhagavatam has said that by the prefix of "PRA" in the sloka the desire of liberation (Moksa Vanohha) is also stopped herewith. A person who is not a pure Vaisnava cannot understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. A mayavadi may pretend to become a so-called Vaisnava but because he cherishes at heart to merge into the Supreme, he is unable to develop the devotional cult which is a necessary qualification for understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Impersonal feature (Letters)
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
Real meditation means to fix up the mind on Krishna or on Krishna's Expansion, Lord Visnu. The modern so-called meditater has no information of Krishna or Visnu. They try to meditate on something void or impersonal which is simply troublesome. It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita that those attached to the impersonal feature have their path to be very, very troublesome. Not only in this age when everything is troublesome, but it was so in former ages also, so what to speak of this age. Therefore, in this age, to fix up your ears upon the transcendental vibrations of Hare Krishna is the highest form of meditation, and the only one which will prove feasible for you. We may or may not condemn the impersonalists, but they are already condemned by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita.
You have asked me the meaning of the word "non-manifest" as it appears in the Bhagavad-gita, and the answer is that it means "impersonal," or that which is not personal. Just like the sun has its personal and impersonal feature. The sun can be located as the sun disc, yet it also has its impersonal, all-pervading aspect, or the sunshine. So the sun is manifest, and the sunshine is non-manifest. Manifest means where there is variety and non-manifest means where there is only one. When you go to a planet within the sunshine there are many varieties found, but in the sunshine itself there is simply one—the sunlight.
Similarly, either in Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan (Personality of Godhead) realization you will always find spiritual light and heat. But as there are different degrees of sunshine, the sunglobe and the sun's deity, similarly there are also degrees of transcendental bliss in the different features of the Absolute. The summary is that the Absolute Truth is the sum total of eternity, bliss and knowledge. Impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth is realization of eternity. Localized Paramatma realization is realization of transcendental knowledge. But above all these as they are described in Bhagavad-gita there is Purusottam, the Supreme Person. That is Krsna. In the Vedas it is stated that one who has understood the Supreme Person has understood everything. This is because everything is subordinate to the Supreme Person.
Just like a child is taught to make a particular type of sound, and thus he learns the name of father, mother and other relatives. That is the beginning. So in the beginning, Om is the right vibration of transcendental sound, and the meaning is to address the Supreme Lord. Our business is directly with the Supreme Lord. Impersonal feature of the Lord is just like the illumination of the lamp. The lamp is the more important thing. You will gradually understand all these features of the Absolute Truth if you read Bhagavad-gita and adhere to the regulative principles. If there is difficulty in understanding, you consult with Brahmananda, or still further you send your inquiry tome. Thank you very much for your letter.
1971 Correspondence
Just like the whole material universe is the creation of the sunshine, so to go to the sunshine does not mean to sit down in the shade of a tree. If somebody argues that this tree is also a creation of the sun so why not sit under the shadow of a tree, this philosophy is not practical and is not accepted in BG. Krishna states that everything is resting in His impersonal feature, but that He is not there. Just like the cloud is sustained in the air, but that does not mean that cloud and air are the same thing. Why worship atom? If in deity there are so many atoms, is it not better to worship combination of atoms in nice form? This sort of philosophy is very misleading and damaging to people who become befooled by it. Try to defeat them, but if you cannot, don't mix with them. Or learn very nicely and argue with them strongly. All great acaryas worship deity, so why should we listen to some small man—Is Aurobindo greater than Krishna?
| Page Title: | Impersonal feature (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 25 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=6 |
| No. of Quotes: | 6 |