Devotee: (indistinct) eternally individual, so how do the impersonalists (?) attaining their goal merge into the impersonal brahmajyoti?
Prabhupāda: That is their sign of less intelligence. Therefore we call the impersonalist as less intelligent. Just like the same example, the child is thinking that the constable is very important man. Similarly, the impersonalists are less intelligent in this sense, that what is this brahmajyoti? The brahmajyoti is combination of atomic spiritual sparks. Just like sunshine is combination of molecular shining particles. This is scientific. Anything you take, either take sunshine or fire or water, you'll find atomic, even earth, they are all atomic, small, very small parts. Similarly, the brahmajyoti is combination of the atomic spiritual sparks who are individual living entities.
So they may merge into that existence of brahmajyoti but because every individual living entity has got individual desires, therefore they cannot exist very long in that individual condition, I mean to say, impersonal condition. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Any person who is thinking that by merging, or one who has already merged into the brahmajyoti, he has become liberated. Bhāgavata says that is not intelligence, what to speak of liberation. He says ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Vimukta-māninaḥ means he is simply falsely thinking that he is liberated. Māninaḥ. Just like you think yourself, just like so many rascals, he is thinking, "I am God," you see. "I am God."
So this is only thinking. Actually they do not know what is God. Otherwise they would not have dared to say that "I am God." They do not know the meaning of God. You see. Therefore they are less intelligent. They are thinking, "I am merged into the..." Just like the rabbit. The rabbit when he is faced with some enemy he closes his eyes. He thinks, "Now I am safe." (laughter) The rascal animal thinks that he is safe now. "I cannot see the enemy."
Just like a child. When there is something fearful the child, it is nature, closes the eyes. I have practical experience. When I was young man I went to the zoo with my little son and as soon as there was a tiger cage, oh, the child closed the eyes. Yes. He could not bear the vicious sight. This is natural.
Similarly, these impersonalists they are closing their eyes. That's all. Just like voidists, they are also doing that. "Now I have become free by smoking or by gāñjā eating, drinking, or smoking." You see? These things are simply false imagination. Therefore they are less intelligent. They are not intelligent. Bhāgavata says ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are self-complacent that "I have become free, liberated," this and that. But actually their intelligence is very contaminated.
Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are simply thinking like that. Māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means actually he is not, but he's thinking. You can think that "I am the proprietor of all the banks of this Los Angeles city." You can think. Who checks you? But are you actually the proprietor of all the banks of this Los Angeles city? Anyone can think intoxication like anything. He has got the liberty. But that is not the fact.
So ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Their intelligence is contaminated because they have no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So long one does not reach to that point, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is everything." It can take some time but unless you reach to that point your all intelligence is imperfect. Your knowledge is imperfect. That you must know. Therefore one who takes Kṛṣṇa, he is most intelligent. Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32).
Just like these foolish men, they are going very high on sputniks and other machine but they cannot find out the shelter and come back. You see. But they are thinking, "Oh, we are so much advanced in science. We go so high." You go high, what is your result? You come back again. They will be puffed up. "Yes, it will be perfect in so many years, in this way and that way." They will never accept defeat. But actually you see they go and come back, that's all.
Similarly these foolish persons who are thinking that "I shall merge into the brahmajyoti," they are less intelligent because they cannot exist there. He has got inclination, desires. There is no facility for fulfilling your desires unless you go to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in order to fulfill the desires he'll come again to this material world. Because he wants activities, pleasure. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. The spirit soul and the Supreme Lord is by nature joyful. Whenever there is question of joyfulness there must be varieties. So there is no variety. So without variety he cannot remain therefore very long. He has to come. But because he has no information of the spiritual varieties he is bound to come back to this material variety. That's all. So therefore their intelligence is less. They are not very high class men. Yes. (end)