The Frustration of Voidism
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the attempt to become "void" or merge into nothingness is a dangerous and unnatural philosophy. Driven by the severe miseries of material life, certain philosophers conclude that all existence is the source of suffering, and thus they seek to make everything zero. However, because the soul is eternal and inherently seeks bliss, this artificial suppression of desire ultimately fails. By understanding the true nature of the self and the Supreme Lord, a sincere Vaiṣṇava rejects the frustration of voidism and embraces the eternal, blissful varieties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The Illusion of Becoming Zero
When individuals are battered by the relentless anxieties of material life, they often develop a reactionary philosophy. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that voidism and impersonalism are born from this very frustration. Disgusted with the false relationships of the material world, speculators attempt to eradicate all existence, falsely equating peace with nothingness.
- This Buddha philosophy, Mayavada philosophy is like that. "Kill me, please. Make me zero, void." So much frustration. So much disturbance that they want to make it zero. But our philosophy is life, real life.
- Disgusted with the mirage of happiness in the material desert, they (those who are after the imitation peacock) seek to merge into voidness.
- They (mayavadi philosophers) therefore want to negate all relationships, and therefore they say no more son, daughter, lover, master or whatever. Being disgusted with these things, they try to make everything void.
- Some philosophers, they are meditating to the voidness, that "These things are all nonsense. Voidness is best." This is frustration. But we know that everything belongs to Krsna and it can be used for Krsna.
The Soul Naturally Desires Variety
The living entity cannot survive in a vacuum. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, our constitutional nature is to experience dynamic, loving exchanges. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that if a person artificially restricts themselves to a void, their dormant desire for variety will inevitably drag them back down to the material platform.
- Because I am disgusted with this material varieties, let it be zero, void. That is a temporary solace. We cannot remain without varieties. That is not possible.
- These Brahmavadi, these Nirakaravadi, although by austerities and penances they may rise up to the Brahman effulgence, still, they will fall down. Because we are living entities, we want varieties of enjoyment. We are not satisfied in void, in zero.
- Impersonal, without variety, zero, these are not enjoyment. This is all rascaldom. The voidists make everything zero. Why zero? There must be varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment.
- We are spiritual beings, and we want enjoyment, but as soon as our future is void, we will become inclined to enjoy this material life.
True Nirvāṇa Means Void of Materiality
The concept of nirvāṇa is often misunderstood as the total cessation of existence. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that true nirvāṇa simply means the end of the material condition. We must make our material desires void, not our actual spiritual identity. Once the material fever is cured, our real, active spiritual life begins.
- Nirvana means not to accept any more material body. Don't try to make it void. That is another nonsense. Void, you are not void. Void means to make void this material body. This full of miserable conditional body. Just try to grow your spiritual body.
- You make your material desires zero, void. "Then? What shall I do next? Shall I become void and finish?" No. Then your real life begins.
- Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void.
- This is the highest perfection - to give up one’s material body and not accept another but to return home, back to Godhead. It is not that perfection means one’s existence becomes void or zero.
The Spiritual World is Full of Variety
The ultimate truth is not an empty sky or formless light; it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full of opulence and surrounded by His eternal associates. Because the spiritual world is infinitely variegated, a pure Vaiṣṇava completely rejects the idea of a void and instead engages in dynamic, loving service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
- The spiritual sky is not void. There are innumerable Vaikuntha planets, and in each of them the Lord, by His innumerable expansions, predominates, and the pure devotees who are there also live in the same style as the Lord and His eternal associates.
- This Krsna consciousness is not dry speculation. There are varieties, but they are spiritual varieties. People misunderstand that these varieties are material things. They want nirvisesa, nirakara, void. But our philosophy is not voidness.
- Whenever we speak of Krsna, we refer to His devotees also, for He is not alone. He is never nirvisesa or sunya, without variety, or zero. Krsna is full of variety, and as soon as Krsna is present, there cannot be any question of void.
- The Vaisnava philosophers know perfectly well that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can never be impersonal or void, because He possesses innumerable potencies.
Conclusion
In summary, Śrīla Prabhupāda expertly dismantles the philosophy of voidism by exposing its root cause: material frustration. The attempt to solve the miseries of life by meditating on nothingness is a form of spiritual suicide that ultimately fails, because the eternal soul cannot tolerate a state of absolute inactivity. A genuine Vaiṣṇava understands that true nirvāṇa is achieved only when material desires are replaced by spiritual desires. By elevating our consciousness to the supreme, variegated platform of Goloka Vṛndāvana, we bypass the imaginary void and awaken to an eternal life of active, blissful service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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 Void. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.