we were all Mayavadis

[Guest guest]

Actually every conditioned soul is a Mayavadi, otherwise the soul wouldn't

be conditioned. When Srila Prabhupada first began lecturing in New York in

1966, he would often attack the Mayavadi impersonalists in his talks, and

not understanding this I joked with friend: "Mayavadi? When was the last

time you saw a Mayavadi?'' None of us could understand who Srila Prabhupada

was talking about; we all thought that the Mayavadis were a little group of

philosophers in India against whom Srila Prabhupada was waging theologic

battle. But actually we were all Mayavadis. Now we are daily praying:

 

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine

nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine.

 

"Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of

Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva

and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism

and voidism."

 

>From a 1970 Back to Godhead article by Hayagriva dasa Adhikari