Buddha philosophy says that, "This material life is all. After this material life, there is nothing, all void." And Śaṅkarācārya says that, "It is impersonal. There is no variety." So in both the philosophies there is no acceptance of Lord, the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. Therefore they are called nāstika-vāda. Nāstika-vāda means atheism, atheism.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described Buddha religion as atheism. "And Māyāvāda philosophy," He has said, "dangerous atheism." He has given little preference to Buddhism, but to Māyāvāda philosophy He has stated, "It is dangerous atheism." His exact version is like that, veda nā māniyā bauddha haya ta’ nāstika, vedāśraya nāstikya-vāda bauddhake adhika (CC Madhya 6.168). He says that, "We call the Buddhists as atheists because the simple reason is that they do not accept Vedas."
Lord Buddha, he denied that, "I don't care for the Vedas. I have got my this own proposition, that ahiṁsā. Nonviolence is the religion. That's all." So he did not accept Vedas. Therefore, those who are Vedāntists, those who are followers of Vedas, they called Buddhist religion atheism. Atheism means anyone who does not believe in scriptures, standard scriptures. That is called atheism.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Buddha philosophy is atheism undoubtedly, but Śaṅkara philosophy is dangerous atheism because he is accepting Vedānta, but he is preaching atheism. He's accepting . . . under the shelter of Vedānta, he's preaching atheism. So therefore they are more dangerous. Just like you are fighting with your enemies, that is very clear: "The other party is my enemy."
But if somebody's treating as your friend and within he's trying to kill you, enemy, oh, that is very dangerous enemy. So similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that Buddhism is atheism. That's all right. But this Śaṅkara's philosophy is more dangerous than atheism.
And actually, so-called, so many svāmīs and sannyāsīs, they came. They come from India. They are this same, dangerous atheists. Nobody has preached in your country this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or . . . Bhagavad-gītā is widely read, but differently interpreted. So therefore they are dangerous atheists. They are . . .
Under the garb of Bhagavad-gītā, they are preaching atheism. So they are very dangerous. But still, because he was Lord Śiva, incarnation of Lord Śiva, and he had a particular duty, therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu supports now that tāṅhāra nāhika doṣa (CC Adi 7.110): "He's not faulty. He's not faulty, because the time required to propagate such philosophy, and he had done that under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He wanted."
There is, Padma Purāṇa, there is statement. In the Padma Purāṇa there is: māyāvādam asac-chāstraṁ pracchannaṁ bauddham ucyate (Padma Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa 25.7). In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated that, "This Māyāvāda philosophy is covered Buddhism." Mayaiva kalpitaṁ devi kalau brāhmaṇa-mūrtinā (Padma Purāṇa). Lord Śiva says to his wife, "My dear Pārvatī, in the age of Kali, in the garb of a brahmin, I'll have to preach this philosophy." Brahmaṇaś cāparaṁ rūpaṁ nirguṇam vakṣyate mayā.
Brāhmaṇaś ca aparaṁ rūpam: "Brahman, the Supreme Lord, He has got transcendental form, but I'll have to preach that He has no form, nirguṇam." Sarvasvaṁ jagato 'py asya mohanārthaṁ kalau yuge: "In the age of Kali, just to bewilder the persons, I'll have to preach this philosophy." Vedānte tu mahā-śāstre māyāvādam avaidikam: "And, when I shall explain Vedānta, I shall explain everything against Vedas."
- vedānte tu mahā-śāstre
- māyāvādam avaidikam
- mayaiva vakṣyate devi
- jagatāṁ nāśa-kāraṇāt
- (Padma Purāṇa)
"In order to kill the atheistic person, I'll have to preach this." This is stated in Padma Purāṇa. And similarly, in the Śiva Purāṇa also, there is another verse:
- dvāparādau yuge bhūtvā
- kalayā mānuṣadiṣu
- svāgamaiḥ kalpitais tvaṁ ca
- janān mad-vimukhān kuru
- (Śiva Purāṇa)
Oh, the Supreme Lord is ordering Lord Śiva that, "In the age of Kali, you go and try to make them against Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
So there are so many policies and so many programs of the supreme authorities, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that that is time service. For the time being they are necessary. Actually, such interpretation is not necessary at all. We should take direct meaning. Now He's explaining Vedānta. The first thing he's explaining, brahma' śabde mukhya arthe kahe-'bhagavān. Whenever we speak of Brahman . . .
Because these Māyāvādī philosophers, they are very much uttering this word "Brahman." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "All Brahman." They don't utter "Kṛṣṇa" or "Govinda." Oh, that is very difficult for them. They simply utter "Brahman." Now . . . let them. Brahman is also Vedic word. That Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the direct meaning of Brahman is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Cid-aiśvarya-paripūrṇa, anūrdhva-samāna (CC Adi 7.111). Now what is the grammatical meaning of Brahman? The grammatical meaning of Brahman is that "the greatest" and "expansive." That is the grammatical meaning of Brahman. Which is unlimitedly expanded and greatest, He is called Brahman.