A Mayavadi is someone who sticks to the principle that the form of God is maya or an illusion. The Mayavadis use very sophisticated world jugglery to try to establish their false conclusion. Those who are not learned in the Vedic wisdom can easily be razzle-dazzled or misled by Mayavadi philosophy. Here is a classic example of their philosophy as stated by a popular Mayavadi guru:I am that Brahman which is bliss, which is eternal, effulgent, all-pervasive, the substratum of names and forms, which is not cognized by the impure intellect, but is cognized by the pure intellect, stainless and boundless. That is to say, when one discards the jiva (individual being) of the form of ahamkara (ego-sense), which is the apparent meaning of the word 'I', what remains merely as the effulgent and conscious Atman (Self), which is the implied meaning of the word 'I', is Brahman. This can also be understood from the following words of Arunagiriar's experience: "After swallowing me who had the form of 'I' (ego), that supreme Being remained as mere Self."In so many words, in a very sophisticated way, the Mayavadi guru is saying that the individual self is actually God, the Supreme Self, although he may be presently in an illusioned covered state of consciousness in which he thinks himself separate from God. He is saying that the individual sense of I-ness or identity is false, that the only reality is the nameless, formless Supreme Self, the impersonal Brahman. So in a roundabout way he is saying that he is God. This is directly contradicts the words the supreme authority, Lord Sri Krishna, as spoken in the Bhagavad-gita. Krishna clearly states in Chapter 2 that He and all the living entities are eternally existing as individuals in the past, present, and future. The Mayavadi philosophy is that individual identity is false, that the only reality is the impersonal, formless oneness, which they call the Self. By denying Krishna's existence as a person the Mayavadis are the greatest offenders against the Lord. Therefore any gurus who teach this Mayavadi philosophy should be avoided. We should only accept as our guru a Vaisnava, someone who knows and teaches that the Supreme Absolute Truth possesses form and personality. Lord Caitanya said that if we hear from the Mayavadis our spiritual life is doomed. We would do well to carefully follow His Caitanya's advice .Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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