It is precisely so that the conditioned soul can free itself from the clutches of matter that the Lord creates the material world, maintains it for a time, and finally decides to annihilate it. Thus, living beings are entirely dependent on the Lord's mercy, for the so-called pleasures offered by the advancement of science crumble to dust when He desires.

In reality, loving and devoted service to Godhead corresponds to a purely spiritual attraction to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, who is the source of all pleasures.

One who is fortunate enough to obtain this information becomes forever liberated and returns to their natural and original position in the kingdom of Godhead.

What is the highest level of perfection attainable in human life?

Human perfection is attained by anyone who observes the following three principles: protecting the cow, upholding Brahmanic culture, and above all, becoming a pure devotee of the Lord.

Unless one becomes a pure devotee, one cannot attain the perfection of existence, which consists of being elevated to the spiritual world where there is no birth, disease, old age, or death. This is the highest level of perfection attainable in human life.

And unless one pursues this goal, all the efforts a person may make to improve the conditions of material life will only result in the failure of his human mission.

Who are those who merge into the effulgence of the Lord?

O Lord, those who, through their earnestness, reach the level of realized devotional service, acquire knowledge and renunciation in their fullness, and by simply drinking the nectar of Your glories, they join the spiritual planets in the spiritual world.

Impersonalist theorists differ from pure devotees of the Lord in that they acquire only a poor understanding of the Absolute Truth through the various stages of their evolution, while devotees, from their very first efforts, gain entry into the realm of infinite joys. The devotee need only listen to what pertains to devotional activities, which are just as simple as those of everyday life, and he too lives in complete simplicity.

The theorist, on the other hand, must engage in a veritable juggling of words, half truth, half pretense, designed to sustain his artificial impersonal conception. Despite their strenuous efforts to acquire perfect knowledge, impersonalists only succeed in merging into the impersonal unity of divine radiance, attained even by the Lord's enemies, merely by being killed by Him.

Devotees, on the other hand, reach the pinnacle of knowledge and renunciation and reach the planets of the spiritual world. While impersonalists reach only the space where these planets float, and therefore achieve no tangible spiritual happiness, devotees reach the planets of the spiritual world, where true spiritual existence prevails. By their earnestness, the devotee rejects all material success as mere dust, accepting only devotional service, the pinnacle of spiritual realization.