Bewilderment Caused by Impersonal Philosophy
Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently warns against the dangers of impersonal philosophy, explaining that it bewilders the intelligence and obstructs the living entity's true spiritual progress. By denying the eternal personality of Godhead and the individuality of the soul, this school of thought—rooted in the teachings of Śaṅkarācārya—creates a spiritual vacuum that mimics the voidism of Buddhism. This article explores how impersonalism distorts Vedic texts, denies the reciprocation of love between the devotee and the Lord, and is ultimately refuted by the standard Vaiṣṇava ācāryas.
Misinterpretation of Vedānta
Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while impersonalists claim to represent the Vedānta-sūtra, they rely almost exclusively on the Śārīraka-bhāṣya commentary of Śaṅkarācārya. This specific interpretation serves a particular historical purpose but deviates from the direct meaning of the scriptures, which establish the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the ultimate source of all existence.
- According to Mayavadis, Vedanta refers to the Sariraka commentary of Sankaracarya. When impersonal philosophers refer to Vedanta and the Upanisads, they are actually referring to the commentaries of Sankaracarya, the greatest teacher of Mayavadi philosophy.
- Lord Siva was ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to preach the impersonal, or Mayavada, philosophy for a particular purpose, just as Lord Buddha preached the philosophy of voidness for particular purposes mentioned in the sastras.
Connection to Voidism
The distinction between the Buddhist philosophy of voidness and the Māyāvāda philosophy of impersonalism is often superficial; Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that both ultimately lead to a negation of existence. He describes impersonalism as "covered void philosophy," because while it uses Vedic terminology, it shares the same goal as nirvāṇa—the cessation of material existence without the positive realization of spiritual variety and activity.
- Nirvana means void of material existence. Impersonal conception is also nirvana. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that this impersonal philosophy is another phase of the void philosophy. Covered void philosophy. Impersonalism is covered void philosophy.
- The whole Buddha philosophy, impersonal philosophy, is looking to that impersonal light. But that is not actual fact.
- This Mayavada philosophy, voidism, impersonal philosophy, is not very good. You cannot remain impersonal or in void, because you are living entity, because you are part and parcel of the supreme living entity, Krsna.
Destruction of Spiritual Identity
A central flaw of impersonal philosophy, according to Śrīla Prabhupāda, is its attempt to merge the individual soul into the Supreme, effectively killing the self. This philosophy destroys the three essential phases of knowledge—the knower, the object of knowledge, and knowledge itself—thereby making any loving reciprocation between the devotee and the Lord impossible.
- The Mayavada philosophy and impersonalist philosophy is that they want to close their individual identity and merge into the existence of the Supreme.
- Impersonal philosophy destroys the three phases of knowledge - jnana, jneya and jnata. As soon as one speaks of knowledge, there must be a person who is the knower, the knowledge itself and the object of knowledge.
- In the impersonal philosophy there is no reciprocation between the Supreme and the living entity, but in the personalist philosophy there is.
Vaiṣṇava Rebuttal
The great Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, such as Rāmānuja and Madhva, have historically contested the Māyāvāda viewpoint, establishing the eternal individuality of the soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the devotee's duty is to vigorously preach against this impersonal calamity, saving the innocent from a philosophy that denies the worshipable form of the Supreme Lord.
- Students of Vedic philosophy know very well how strongly Sri Ramanujacarya's visistadvaita-vada and Sri Madhvacarya's tattva-vada contest the impersonal Mayavada philosophy.
- It is our earnest endeavor to preach this philosophy very vigorously to clear out the diseased condition of impersonal and voidist philosophy which are so much misleading. So you are very fortunate. Krsna has saved you from the impersonal calamity.
- Those who are attached to impersonal philosophy, they do not care to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Śrīla Prabhupāda identifies the impersonal philosophy as a bewilderment that distracts the living entity from the ultimate goal of life—loving service to Kṛṣṇa. By equating the spiritual world with a void or mere light, the impersonalist misses the dynamic variety of the Vaikuṇṭha planets and the joy of personal relationship with God. The Vaiṣṇava teaching corrects this error by revealing that while the Lord has an impersonal feature, His original and complete form is that of the Supreme Person, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Impersonal philosophy. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.