God Is The Supreme Brahman - The Ultimate Absolute Truth
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently addresses the Vedic aphorism ahaṁ brahmāsmi ("I am spirit soul"). While realizing our spiritual identity is a crucial step in self-realization, it is not the final destination. The Vedic literatures reveal that above the individual spirit soul (Brahman) is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supreme Brahman.
The Source of the Impersonal Effulgence
Many transcendentalists mistake the all-pervading spiritual effulgence for the ultimate reality. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this effulgence is merely the bodily glow of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Himself the Supreme Brahman and the Absolute Truth.
- Because the Supreme Lord is avyaya, He is the Absolute Truth, the fully spiritual Supreme Brahman.
- The Lord is the Supreme Brahman, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead appearing like a man, but Uddhava had doubts whether He could have so many transcendental activities.
- When He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) is realized in His impersonal form He is called the Supreme Brahman, when realized as the Paramatma He is called antaryami.
- Everything is the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead, yet the Supreme Person is differently situated from everything.
Refuting Māyāvāda Impersonalism
Impersonalist philosophers often attempt to erase the distinction between God and the living entity. Śrīla Prabhupāda vigorously defends the personal nature of the Supreme Brahman, explaining that the Lord never falls down into illusion like the minute conditioned souls do.
- In the Mayavadi commentary, the spiritual, transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been denied, and the Supreme Brahman has been dragged down to the level of the individual Brahman, the living entity.
- If one does not accept the living entity to be a minute, infinitesimal spark of the Supreme but equates the jiva-tattva with the Supreme Brahman or Supreme Personality of Godhead, it must be understood that his entire philosophy is based on a misunderstanding.
- Both the Supreme Brahman and the individual Brahman have been denied spiritual form and individuality, although it is clearly stated that the Supreme Lord is the one supreme living entity and the other living entities are the many subordinate living entities.
- The fragment of God, the living entity, may fall down into the material world, but the Supreme Lord (Acyuta) never falls down. Therefore this assumption that the Supreme Brahman assumes the form of jiva is not acceptable.
The Creator and Absolute Controller
Because the Supreme Brahman is the origin of everything, He is naturally the supreme controller. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out the logical fallacy of believing that the creator of the material energy could somehow be controlled by it.
- Because the Lord is differently situated from everything material, He is the Supreme Brahman, the supreme cause, the supreme controller.
- If I am creator of something, so I cannot be under that particular thing which is created. It is logical. So therefore, because the Supreme Brahman, or Bhagavan, is the creator of this material nature, He cannot be under the control of maya.
- It is out of fear of the Supreme Brahman that the wind is blowing, out of fear of Him that the sun regularly rises and sets, and out of fear of Him that fire acts.
- The creation subsists by the energy of the Supreme Brahman and, after annihilation, merges into the Supreme Brahman. From this we can understand that the Absolute Truth can be categorized in three cases - ablative, instrumental and locative.
The Ultimate Goal of Devotion
Theoretical knowledge of one's spiritual nature is not the perfection of life. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that true liberation means entering into active, loving service to the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead.
- One should not be satisfied simply with knowing that one is Brahman. He must engage himself in the service of the Supreme Brahman; that is bhakti.
- A Vaisnava is superior to a brahmana because whereas a brahmana knows that he is Brahman, not matter, a Vaisnava knows that he is not only Brahman but also an eternal servant of the Supreme Brahman.
- The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita: One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything.
- The cause of all causes, the Absolute Truth, or Supreme Brahman, cannot be understood by philosophical speculation, but He reveals Himself to His devotee because the devotee fully surrenders unto His lotus feet.
Conclusion
The philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness brings perfect clarity to the concept of Brahman. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that while the living entities are undoubtedly Brahman (spirit), they are infinitesimal sparks prone to illusion. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is the Supreme Brahman—the infinite, blazing fire of spiritual existence. He is the absolute creator, maintainer, and controller of all material and spiritual energies, never subject to the covering of māyā. The Māyāvādī attempt to deny the personal form of the Supreme Brahman and equate the minute soul with God is a dangerous misunderstanding. True spiritual advancement culminates not in merging into a formless void, but in realizing one's eternal, subordinate position. When the individual Brahman dedicates themselves to the pure devotional service of the Supreme Brahman, they attain the highest joy and the ultimate perfection of existence.
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