What is the difference between an impersonalist and a Mayavadi?

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Very little difference, but still, there is difference. Māyāvādīs means they are speaking that "Everything is māyā; Kṛṣṇa is also māyā." And impersonalist means they are thinking that "To merge into the Brahman effulgence is better than to keep our personal identity."

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So in this way they are trying to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but where to stay? They can stay in the Brahman effulgence as minute particle of soul, but the soul wants ananda, then again—"It was better to live in the material world." They come back again. That is statement of the śāstra. Āruhya kṛccheṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ. They may go very high, same way as the jets are going, but there is no shelter. Shelter is the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So without shelter, they cannot remain there, and because by nature he wants ānanda... Suppose if you remain in the sky for many, many years, would you feel very comfortable? Then you have to come back again. What is the use of being falsely proud—"Now we have invented the machine. We can go eighteen thousand miles per hour and up in the sky"? That's all right, but what is the benefit out of it? Without ānanda, without society, friendship and love, you cannot be happy in the vacant sky. Then you'll have to seek again—"Give me some shelter. It is all false."

Madhudviṣa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, a question arose the other day in class if there was a difference between Brahman-realized yogi and a Māyāvādī.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Madhudviṣa: Someone like the Kumaras... Were the Kumāras, before they became attracted to Viṣṇu, were they Māyāvādīs?

Prabhupāda: Not Māyāvādīs.

Trivikrama: Impersonalists.

Prabhupāda: Impersonalists.

Madhudviṣa: What is the difference between an impersonalist and a Māyāvādī?

Prabhupāda: Very little difference, but still, there is difference.

Trivikrama: Māyāvādīs are offenders.

Prabhupāda: Māyāvādīs means they are speaking that "Everything is māyā; Kṛṣṇa is also māyā." And impersonalist means they are thinking that "To merge into the Brahman effulgence is better than to keep our personal identity."

taken from: https://vaniquotes.org/wiki/What_is_the_difference_between_an_impersonalist_and_a_Mayavadi%3F